Hot as Fire
by Aerle
Summary: After the restaurant where Sanji works burns down and his wallet gets stolen, a stranger takes him home. Zoro immediataly has a crush on the foulmouthed chef, but it appears Sanji is only interested in being friends. After a friend of Zoro is being arrested for burning down the restaurant, Sanji and Zoro see each other more often. AU. Eventual ZoSan. Other pairings also appear.
1. Chapter 1

This is my first AU, as it is my first multi-chapter story. I'd like to thank my friends Vergina-spva and Thérèse (who doesn't have an account here) for pre reading. Thanks you guys ^^

Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece, but I doubt any of you thought that ^^;

Please enjoy :)

**Hot as Fire**

**Chapter 1**

Rain was pouring down on him. People walked hastily by, wanting to go home as fast as possible. Just like him.

Sanji sighed. He was sitting on a bus bench, completely drenched by now. A bus had come by, but he had motioned the driver to drive on. He didn't have any money. His wallet got stolen, a perfect ending for a perfect day. He hid his face in his hands. Water dripped out of his blond locks. Everyone had bad days, but his seemed to be the worst. He might as well stay here. It wasn't like he could get wetter. He bit his lip, trying to keep it together. Only when he came home he could break down, though he couldn't bring himself to get up and begin the long walk to his house.

But all of a sudden the thick drops of water stopped landing on him, though he could still see them fall down on the street. Slowly he looked up. Before him stood a pair of heavy boots. His gaze slit up to the strong looking legs standing in them, and up the muscular body. Two dark piercing eyes gazed down on him and he had to lower his gaze. His throat went dry and he couldn't say anything. A hand reached out and without thinking he grabbed it, feeling the calloused skin on his own. Without saying anything the man started walking and he followed, trying to stay under the green umbrella.

He lived on the other side of town and he didn't know this part of the city too well, but still he got the feeling they went around in a circle for a while before they stopped in front of an old building. The man gave him the umbrella to hold, while he opened the door.

It was warm inside the house. The muscular man walked in front of him to the small living room. He sat down on his knees and started to make a fire in the fireplace. After that he ran upstairs. Within a few seconds he was back down again and threw dry clothes at him, a T-shirt and sweatpants. Then he walked over to the kitchen. Before he went in he turned around. "I don't mind if you take off your underwear," he said in a surprisingly deep voice.

Sanji nodded, still not able to say a word. He wasn't sure what had happened. One moment he was sitting in the rain feeling sorry for himself and the next he was standing in a stranger's house about to take his clothes off. To putt on dry ones of course – he was soaked – but still. Why had he come with this strange man? Because he was the only one to show him some kindness when it felt like the worst day of his life? Because he was cold and wet?

Slowly he started to unbutton his shirt and loosened his tie. One by one his clothes were discarded to the floor. His suit was ruined by the rain anyway. The other man hadn't come back yet, probably to give him some privacy. He hesitated for a bit, but then he let his underpants drop on the floor. For a moment he enjoyed the heat of the fire on his naked skin. But then he realised he was in a stranger's apartment, naked, and there wasn't a naked woman beside him.

He heard some noise from the kitchen. Hastily he grabbed the sweatpants and put them on, just when the other man came walking in holding two mugs. Sanji picked up the T-shirt, the pants almost slipping of his slim hips. The sweet scent of chocolate filled his nostrils as one of the mugs was pressed in his hands. The stranger sat down on the worn-out couch while he stared into the fire.

Sanji took a small sip. The sweet chocolate was dominated by the burning sensation of rum. Actually, there was more rum in the hot chocolate than chocolate, but the beverage did warm him up from the inside.

"Thanks," Sanji said softly. He kept silent for a moment. "For everything," he added.

He got a grunt as answer. Both of the men sipped from their hot chocolate in silence. Despite the burning feeling of the rum, the beverage and the warmth of the fire made Sanji sleepy. He hadn't had much sleep last night, but he refused to fall asleep in a stranger's house. He had to think of a way to stay awake. Talking should do the trick. "I'm Sanji."

"Zoro." It sounded more like a grunt.

Another silence filled the room. Sanji took the time to look around. The furniture was simple, only the basic things were there. The couch was old and worn and the table looked as if it could collapse at any moment. The rest of the room was pretty much empty. The only things that seemed to be placed with care were the three swords that hung above the mantelpiece.

Sanji forced himself to break the silence, as he was feeling a little uncomfortable. "Er, thank you for getting me out of the rain."

"Sure."

The blond man got the urge to kick the man. All his answers sounded as grunts. He wasn't even trying to make conversation.

"So why did you?" he pressed with clenched jaws.

Zoro shrugged. "You looked like you needed a friendly gesture."

"Don't take it the wrong way. I'm not helpless or anything. I just had a bad day."

The other man snorted. "Oh yeah? And what can bring a tough guy like you down, then?"

It was the first thing he said that sounded remotely interested, so Sanji decided to take the bait. He wanted to get it off his chest anyway, and now the guy asked for it! And maybe it was better to talk to a stranger, as he wouldn't see him after tonight.

"Fine, you want to know? First of all, yesterday my girlfriend broke up with me, without giving me as much as a reason why. Then last night I got called in the middle of the night. My restaurant was on fire. Well, it's not my restaurant, I am… was head chef. But the owner is on vacation, so I have to take care of everything. My car broke down, so a friend had to drive me. By the time I got to the restaurant, it was already almost burned to the ground. They told me to go home.

Then this morning I got called by an arson inspector, if I could come to the restaurant. As I live on the other side of town and didn't want to disturb my friends, I decided to take the bus. In all haste, I forgot my phone. When I arrived, the arson inspector was already waiting. He explained to me what had happened. Because it was arson. Arson! Can you believe it? Someone set my restaurant deliberately on fire!" Brusquely he went with his hand through his still damp hair, wishing his cigarettes weren't ruined by the rain. "On top of that, my wallet got stolen, so I couldn't go home. And now I'm sitting with a guy I don't know drinking something that can only be described as hot rum with chocolate flavour!" He felt a little bad for insulting the man on the couch. Though he had wanted to get everything of his chest, but he had been rambling on for minutes now. It must be the rum loosening his tongue.

Zoro stayed quiet for a moment. He let his head fall back to the backrest of the couch. "That sounds like a pretty shitty day."

"Yeah…" Sanji looked at the floor. "Sorry about that last bit. I didn't mean – Is your hair green?" He sat down on the couch and stared at the short, spiky hair.

The other man seemed to be a bit thrown off guard by the sudden change of topic. Embarrassed, he covered his hair with his hand. "Stop staring at me, curly brow."

The blonde grinned. For some reason he was feeling a little better, despite the fact he had just been insulted. "Well, whatever. I'm getting hungry. You want me to make something?"

The green haired man shrugged. "Kitchen is over there."

Sanji walked in the direction the man pointed. In the kitchen his mouth fell open. He had never seen such a mess in one kitchen. The counter was full of wrappers from take-out food and the counter itself looked like it hadn't seen sunlight in a while. Despite the fact that the stove could not have been used very often, it looked like the things that had been there were exploded. When he opened the fridge, he only saw some beer bottles and some leftovers of the take-out. On the whole, just looking at the kitchen pained his heart. Sighing he opened some of the cabinets and found some cans of food, with a thick layer of dust on them.

A while later he walked into the room with two plates in his hands and two bottles of beer under his arm. "You really have to do some grocery shopping," he said while handing Zoro one of the plates.

"What's the matter? I thought you were some amazing chef?" the other man said teasing.

"I am, but even I need more than beer to cook with."

They ate in silence. Every once in a while, Sanji glared at Zoro. Even though he had little to work with, this food had to be better than greasy take-out. But if he was enjoying the food, the green haired man didn't show it. It bugged him a little.

When they almost finished dinner, the phone rang. Zoro made no attempt to pick up, so the machine took it.

"Hey Zoro, it's Ace," a male voice said. "I thought you said you would be home tonight… O wait, I get it, you've got a date over." Now the voice sounded teasing. "Is he…"

Sanji had never seen someone jump up so fast. Like a cat jumps it prey, Zoro dove to the phone and grabbed it before the guy at the end of the line could say anything else.

Zoro took the phone to the hallway. "What the hell, Ace!"

"So you are at home," his friend grinned. "And hearing how annoyed you are, you do have a date over."

"It's not a date!" Zoro sighed and tried to explain as best as he could. Actually, he didn't understand it quite himself. When he had seen the blonde sitting at the bus station, he had genuinely wanted to make a nice gesture. To buy him a cup of coffee in a restaurant nearby and give him his umbrella. That would be it. But when the man had looked up with his beautiful blue eyes, Zoro just wanted to take him home. He hadn't expected the man to follow him, let alone undress himself in Zoro's living room. It had been really hard not to peek. But all of it had given him the idea this could be a very interesting evening. When the man had talked about his girlfriend, even if it was his ex-girlfriend now, Zoro's stomach twisted. He told himself it didn't have to mean anything, that the beautiful blonde could be bi.

Of course he didn't tell Ace about all this. He only mentioned he had helped someone out, and that it was in fact not a date. His friend tried to fish what Sanji looked like. Zoro answered as shortly as possible and left out many adjectives he wanted to add. He kept the description at blond guy with blue eyes, instead of a gorgeous blond with beautiful blue eyes and legs to die for. He cut off Ace's series of questions and after a short goodbye he hung up, ignoring the teasing remarks of his friend. When he entered the room, Sanji looked up.

"Sorry about that." He put the phone back.

The blonde snickered. "It's your house. By the way, what's with all the take-out food?"

"I'm usually back late and I don't like to cook," he shrugged.

Sanji shook his head in mock disappointment. But then he said: "That still is no excuse to have no other food. And to live like a pig. I've taken the liberty to clean up somewhat, because the fridge started to smell like something died in there. And you should eat something healthy every once in a while."

Zoro stared at the man who was currently scolding him. "Your food's good," he mumbled.

That stopped Sanji's ranting. "Thanks," he said. "It was a challenge. But if you like this, you should taste it when I got ingredients to work with."

Zoro nodded vaguely and took the last bite of his food. Did Sanji just invite him to taste his cooking? Did that mean a date? Or was he half forgotten about his restaurant and encouraging him to stop by? He opened his mouth, to ask what this was and whether he was bi or not, but he didn't want to offend the guy, or scare him away.

Sanji raised an eyebrow seeing he wanted to say something, when the phone rang once more. A bit relieved he didn't have to explain himself, but also afraid Ace had decided to harass him again, he ran to the phone and picked up with: "What?" He sighed deep when he recognized the female voice.

Sanji made himself comfortable in front of the fire and listened to Zoro's half of the conversation. The green haired man sounded annoyed. When he hung up, he went with his hand through his hair irritated. "It looks like I have to go."

"Why?" Sanji frowned.

"That stupid witch wants me to help move stuff around. And since I owe her some money, I can't refuse or she will raise my debt."

The blonde raised a curly eyebrow. "You shouldn't talk about a woman like that." It almost sounded threatening. "You should feel privileged she invites you to her house."

Zoro didn't really know what to think anymore. The chef sent him mixed signals, purposely or not. "If you knew her, you would talk the same about her."

Sanji straightened. "I would never talk about a woman like that!"

"Whatever. I have to go. Feel free to use my shower." He was just putting his jacket on when something came to mind. "Or do you want to go home?"

The chef looked at the clock on the wall. "Well, the busses don't go anymore in this shitty town and it's still pouring outside. So I would like to take you up on your offer."

"Bathroom is upstairs, first door on the left." The other man grabbed an umbrella and left.

Sanji strolled upstairs and opened the door Zoro pointed out, only to find the man's bedroom. Shaking his head, he closed the door and looked for the bathroom. When he found the right room, he took a deep breath, afraid of what he might find.

Fortunately, the bathroom was a lot cleaner than the kitchen. He turned on the shower and took off the borrowed clothes he had on. The hot spray felt good against his skin. He wasn't very cold anymore thanks to the dry clothes and the warm food, but the idea of washing away this day was comforting.

After he felt clean enough, he turned off the shower. Dripping with water he searched for a towel. Under the sink was a drawer where indeed lay towels, but when he lifted one he took a step back.

In the drawer lay a magazine. He had one in his own bathroom. He didn't really like them, but sometimes he needed it after a stressful day.

But the one laying here wasn't filled with beautiful women. Instead of that, it was full of naked men. Immediately he closed the drawer. Zoro was gay.

He had nothing against gay men, he just didn't understand how a man could not like women. With their soft curves and sweet laughs… But now he started to doubt Zoro's motive. Sanji knew he was handsome, when he had to fill in for a waiter at the restaurant girls swooned over him. And when men flirted with him, he flirted right back. That was mostly because that shitty old man had threatened to fire him if he kept ignoring the male costumers, but also because flirting was in his blood.

But that didn't mean he was gay or even bi. He was straight. Did Zoro think this was a date, like his friend said? The guy, Ace, had asked if "he" was something. Sanji just assumed he had misheard. Apparently he hadn't.

Slowly he began to dry himself off. He just needed to make clear that he wasn't interested, without hurting the man's feelings. After all, he had been very hospitable.

* * *

When Zoro came back an hour or so later, Sanji was sitting on the couch reading a book, the only cookbook he owned. The blonde's hair was still damp from the shower. Quickly he repressed the imaging of a naked cook that bubbled up in his brain. When the man looked up, Zoro saw he was wearing reading glasses, which made him look smart and even hotter. One of the glasses was concealed by a curtain of blond hair. His mouth went dry.

The blonde took off his glasses. "I was surprised to find a cookbook in your collection. A good one, at that. Not very much used though, there was a lot of dust on it." The man snickered. "You've got a lot of martial arts books."

"I like to keep in shape," Zoro grunted, taking off his jacket.

"So, how did it go with your friend?" Sanji sucked on one of the arms of his glasses, looking rather seductive. Zoro couldn't take his eyes off the blonde's mouth. He had probably no idea how sexy he looked.

He forced himself to speak and tore his eyes away. "She's not exactly my friend. But she just wanted me to move a bookcase, so it wasn't that much work."

"I should hope so, seeing how muscular you are." Sanji bit his lip. He didn't want to look like he was flirting. Then he stopped biting his lip, realizing it looked even more flirtatious. He needed to make clear he wasn't interested in anything more than friendship. Sighing, he asked: "Zoro, can I ask you something?"

The green haired man threw his jacket on a chair and sat down next to the chef. "What?"

After taking a deep breath he started: "When I was in your bathroom – which is on the right by the way, not the left – I wasn't snooping around or something, I was just looking for a towel…"

Zoro raised his eyebrows. "You're babbling."

Hesitating for a moment, Sanji closed his eyes. "I found your magazine."

The other man's eyes slightly widened. He swallowed hard. "That's not a question," he finally said.

"Well," Sanji resumed uncomfortable, "do you think this is a date?"

"Do your dates usually go like this?" Zoro avoided the question.

The blonde looked at the floor. "Well, no. But I usually don't date men."

"Usually?"

"Well, never. And to be honest, I don't feel any need to start now." Carefully he looked at the other man.

Zoro sighed. He knew it. The cook was as straight as they get. So he just laughed it off. "You think I pick up random strangers off the street to date them?"

Sanji shifted uncomfortable in his seat. "Well, not random…"

"Oh? Don't we have a high opinion of ourselves?"

The chef flushed. "I've been told I'm handsome…"

"Did someone also tell you you have a freakish eyebrow?"

The other man's cheeks were still red, now with anger. "What's that, marimo?"

"What did you call me, dart brow?"

Threatening they looked at each other. The yelling of insults became a physical fight. Sanji avoided Zoro's fist by bending backwards. Then he lifted his leg, barely stopped in time by Zoro's strong hands. A smile played across his face. "That's some nice kick you've got there, curly brow."

"There aren't many men who can stop me, so I guess you're not bad either, moss head." Slowly he put his foot down and they both sank on the couch again. "Sorry, about just now. I thought you were hitting on me."

Zoro shrugged and grinned. "Well, you couldn't know I have taste."

Sanji scowled at him, but then he stood up. "I'm thirsty. You want something?"

"I'm glad you feel at home here," Zoro said sarcastically.

The cook shrugged and walked to the kitchen. Zoro stared after him and sighed. Not only had the blonde the nicest ass he had ever seen, he was strong as well. And not into guys.

Sanji pocked his head around the corner. "Hey, I found a bottle of wine. Mind if I open it?"

Zoro frowned. "Wine?"

The blonde walked back with a bottle and two lemonade glasses, as his host didn't own any wine glasses. "Yeah, a nice one too. And here you have me thinking you didn't have any taste."

With furrowed eyebrows the green haired man looked at the bottle. "Oh right. I got it from someone for my birthday."

"That explains a lot," the blonde said grinning. "But I'll put it back if you…"

"Nah, it's fine. I don't drink this shit often anyway."

The cook looked at him offended. "This isn't 'shit'. It's a great wine. I can't believe a barbarian like you even has it." Still he poured the liquid in the two glasses and handed the other man one.

A few glasses later Sanji could feel the alcohol starting to take effect. It made him feel a bit drowsy. He probably shouldn't have opened the wine. He had a very low tolerance of alcohol and he already had had some rum and a bottle of beer. But this was damn fine wine and he wasn't going to let Zoro drown it like beer. This kind of wine should by drunk by people who appreciated it. His eyes flicked to the other man, but he didn't seem effected be the alcohol at all. It pissed him off a bit, so he tried to behave as normal as possible.

He took another sip from his half empty glass. "So, why is your hair really green? Do you dye it or is it natural?"

Zoro grinned. "Would you like to find out?"

The blonde gave him a questioning look. "How would you…" His expression became shocked and brusquely he shook his head. "No way I'm looking there!" To emphasize his words he gestured to Zoro's crotch with the hand he held his glass in. Wine poured over the edge and on the other man's white T-shirt.

"Oh God, I'm so sorry! We should pour some white wine on it. Oh wait, you don't have that. Would beer work?"

The green haired man couldn't help but grin. He had noticed Sanji's red cheeks. "You babble when you're drunk, too."

The chef wanted to gesture with his hand again, but hastily put the glass in the other. "I'm not drunk. Maybe a bit tipsy. Besides, shouldn't you put on a clean shirt?"

The other man scratched the back of his head. "I'm also a bit behind with my laundry. You're wearing my last clean one."

"Then take it." Sanji started to pull the shirt over his head before Zoro could stop him. And once the blonde started stripping, he didn't want to stop him. The material revealed a creamy white skin covering a slightly muscular chest. The man stared at the hot body in front of him. And he could, since Sanji was struggling with his clumsy drunk hands to get the shirt over his head. The cook offered him the shirt and he took it hesitating. He probably should tell the man to put it back on, but he couldn't bring himself to say it. The material was still warm from the blonde's body.

The chef emptied his glass and lay down on the carpet in front of the fire. He stretched himself, reminding Zoro somewhat of a cat. A very sexy cat, that is. The sweatpants he was wearing slid down a little because of the movements, uncovering a few blond curls.

Zoro grunted. The blonde probably had no idea how sexy he looked right now. His cheeks were slightly flushed from the wine and his hair was ruffled. Unable to hold himself back, the green haired man slid off the couch and sat down next to Sanji, throwing some wood on the fire to hide his motive.

"Life sucks," the chef said suddenly.

"C'me on, it's not that bad, is it? You've had a rough day, but it's not the end of the world. You're just stressed out." Everybody got stressed every once in a while. What did Zoro do when he got anxious? Drinking, sure, but that seemed to make things worse for the cook. What else then? "You just need to be… relieved." He couldn't believe he just said that. Was he taking advantage of the drunk man in front of his fire?

The cook shot up. "What are you implying?"

"I can help you with that." Zoro's voice sounded deep and husky.

Sanji stared at him, but not shocked as the green haired man had expected. The alcohol had made his eyes a bit cloudy. Slowly he lay back and closed his eyes.

Zoro ran his hand over his leg, carefully watching the man. The blonde didn't protest, even when the hand slowly began to pull down the sweatpants. More blond curls were revealed.

Zoro's breath became ragged, his mouth was completely dry. Thank God for alcohol. He continued to pull down the pants, until the cook lay naked on the carpet. He let his eyes linger over the hot body beneath him. He stretched out his arm, stopping himself just in time. He had promised to relieve Sanji, not to touch him everywhere. Or lick him. He pushed away those thoughts.

He swallowed hard as he reached out and slowly started to stroke the cook's cock.

Sanji moaned as he got hard in Zoro's hand. His eyes flung open when the hand removed itself after some pleasurable strokes and was replaced with something hot and wet. Was that his –

A moan escaped his mouth. There was no way a girl could take him that deep. Not that he would ever allow a woman to so something that filthy. But Zoro was a guy…

He knew he should care more about that fact, but at this moment he couldn't bring himself to it. His mind went blanc and he buckled his hips.

The green haired man whipped his mouth with the back of his hand and looked down on the naked blonde on the carpet. He had his eyes closed and was panting, covered with a thin layer of sweat. Zoro swallowed hard. Taking a deep breath he threw another log on the fire and silently he left the room.

~To be continued ~


	2. Chapter 2

So, it took me longer than expected to update, but after receiving all your kind reviews (thank you all!) I was a bit embarrased to continue, as I'm afraid I can't live up to your expectations. But here it is, part 2. Please regard me kindly ^^;

I like to thank my friends again for pre-reading.

Please enjoy ^^

**Hot as Fire**

**Chapter 2**

Sanji woke up the next morning, immediately aware of a throbbing headache. Without opening his eyes he yawned and stretched his arms, to find that one of his hands smacked against something soft. Something that shouldn't be in his bed.

His eyes flung open and he straightened. He was defiantly not in his own room. Slowly the events of last night came back to him. So it hadn't been a dream after all. But he couldn't remember falling asleep on the couch…

He let his eyes wander around Zoro's living room. He saw his own cloths lying on the ground before the fire place to dry. The fire had gone out a while ago. The last thing he remembered he had been lying there. Beside his suit lay the sweatpants he had been wearing last night. Shouldn't he still have that on?

Sanji gasped. Even that part had been real?!

Well, he had known that for a while, but he blamed the relaxed state of his body to a good night sleep. But he was still naked, lying under a sheet he knew for sure hadn't been there before.

He tried to get his breath under control. This wasn't the time to panic. So, Zoro had sucked him off. No, he had _let_ the man suck him off. A man had pleasured him. A shiver went down his spine. Taking slow and deep breaths he put on his own clothes. His suit was ruined by the rain, but he hardly noticed.

Heavy footsteps came down the stairs. Sanji stiffened while fixing his tie. _Keep it cool._ It had been a drunken mistake, from him anyway. Maybe Zoro felt the same…

"Morning," the green haired man said, entering the living room. His hair was damp from the shower.

"M-morning." The cook swallowed hard. "L-look Zoro, about last night…" He cursed himself for stuttering. "I was really drunk and depressed and stuff… I'm not gay."

"I know." Zoro looked in the fridge and frowned seeing it almost empty.

Sanji raised a curly eyebrow. "And I'm not bi either."

"Yes, you mentioned that."

"Then what the hell was that last night?" Sanji shrieked. In a very manly way of course.

The other man shrugged. "Just doing you a favour, I guess."

"F–" Sanji almost choked on the word. "Doing me a favour? You violated me!"

"I didn't hear you complain."

"I was drunk!"

"Then sue me."

The cook stood stunned. How could Zoro be so casual about this? "Maybe I will. After all, you took advantage of me!"

"Yeah, 'cause I like having a stranger's dick in my mouth," Zoro said sarcastically.

"Don't make it sound like I forced you. It was all your idea! I never asked you to touch me!"

"Are you sure?"

Sanji opened his mouth to say something, but then closed it again. He hadn't, had he? He knew he could become very affectionate when he was drunk, but he wouldn't go as far as to ask a _man_ to please him?

But when he saw the smirk on Zoro's face, something inside him snapped. "Don't make me doubt my memory, you bastard!" He lifted his leg and attacked the green haired man.

Zoro could barely avoid his angry kick. He had poked the bear, and now he had to face it. Sanji's fierce attacks didn't stop. The other man stumbled backwards, trying to avoid the deadly kicks. His eyes flashed to the mantelpiece. There was only one way he stood a chance against the furious cook…

As the chef planned a new attack, Zoro used the split second he had to push the man backwards. It was more the surprise then the force which made Sanji stumble. While blonde regained his balance, the green haired man grabbed the swords – which were not just for decoration. In a blink of the eye he had one in each hand and the third in his mouth. Sanji raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. For a second they just stared at each other, but then the fight started all over again – though this time more fair.

Zoro had expected the chef to be more careful this time, as he was holding razor-sharp swords, but Sanji just avoided his slashes, limber as he was.

The fight could have go on for hours, had not Zoro's stomach made a growling noise. Sanji's leg stopped mid-air. The swordsman looked at him suspiciously and slowly, but highly alert, they both lowered their weapons.

The chef had been thought – well, it was beaten into him – never to let go anyone hungry. Not even an annoying, arrogant Marimo. So he sighed. "Okay, maybe I'm overreacting. I just…" He stopped. "Never mind. I'll go make breakfast."

Zoro looked at him surprised, but then he shrugged. While Sanji started to scrape the leftovers together to make a meal, the green haired man turned to the fireplace. It was cold already, but he couldn't help but smile. The events of last night had given him some fun things to think about in the shower… The sound of the doorbell startled him. He frowned and opened the door.

A bright freckled face greeted him with a wide grin. Raven black hair framed his face. "Hi Zoro."

"Ace! What the hell?" The green haired man quickly looked over his shoulder and took a step outside, closing the door a bit behind him. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, you were so mysterious on the phone, I thought you might wanted to talk now."

Something fell in the kitchen. Zoro closed his eyes, but his friend had heard it as well. Ace's grin became even wider. "So the hot blonde is still here. Zoro, you dirty boy!" He pushed the green haired man out of the way and ran inside, closely followed by the swordsman.

"I never called him ho–!" He stopped mid sentence when he arrived in the kitchen. Sanji just rose after picking up the bowl he had dropped. Ace was shameless checking out the man's ass.

"Hello," the chef said surprised.

"Hi, I'm Ace." The black haired man grinned at him. He was muscular, though not as much as Zoro. Also his skin was more pale.

"You're the guy from the phone."

Ace turned around and smirked at Zoro. "He remembers me."

"It was last night," the man answered with clenched teeth.

Sanji looked from Ace to Zoro, his eyebrows cocked. "I was just making breakfast, but since Moss-head over there barely had enough food to feed one, I can't really offer you something, Ace."

"Don't call me that, Curly-brow!"

Some more insults were thrown back and forth, but their fight was interrupted by Ace's uncontrollable laughing. Surprised the two men looked at him. "Moss-head? Curly-brow? You guys sure are something," Ace said between laughs.

"Don't make us sound like a couple!" Sanji's cheeks were red with anger. With a bang he placed a plate with food on the table. "Eat, Marimo."

"What's a marimo?" Ace asked curiously, when he saw that Zoro was obviously insulted.

"A ball of seaweed." The blonde smirked. "I learned that when I was studying Japanese cooking."

That explanation caused Ace to laugh again. "That's a new one!"

Clenching his teeth Zoro sat down. It annoyed him that Sanji's new nickname for him amused Ace so much. Biting back his anger he took a mouthful. And then froze. That damn cook could even make leftovers of leftovers taste good!

He snapped out of his thoughts when he heard Ace say: "That's like two blocks from my house. I can take you if you like."

"No way!" His fist slammed into the table. He would not let his flirtatious friend get inside the house of the blonde.

Ace snickered. "Possessive much?"

Zoro ignored him. "I can give you money for the bus."

But Sanji shook his head. "No thanks. You really have done too much for me." He gave the green haired man a piercing look. "If Ace lives close by, I rather take that offer."

Franticly Zoro thought of ways to convince the blonde to take the bus home, or better, stay with him. But Ace's proposal was too reasonable. He sighed deeply.

His friend was already at the door. "We wanna get going then. I left my brother at home alone with a full fridge."

Zoro snickered. It wouldn't be full anymore when Ace got back.

"I hope you're not afraid of riding a motorcycle?"

Sanji tilted his head in a cocky way. "Do I look like I'm scared of anything?"

Ace just grinned.

The blonde turned to Zoro. "Listen, thanks for… everything." He hesitated for a moment, but then he grabbed a pen and scribbled something down on a piece of paper, which he handed to Zoro. "I hate owing people. So, if you think of something I can do to repay you, please call. But I will not do the exact same, you understand?" Then he followed Ace into the hall. By the door he stopped and turned around. "Oh, and Marimo? Buy some damn food."

Outside Ace gave the blonde a spare helmet. A bit jealous Zoro watched how Sanji wrapped his arms around his friend's waist. But then a thought struck him. If Ace brought the cook home, that meant his friend knew where he lived. Zoro looked at the note in his hand. Yeah, he would definitely see the blonde again.

* * *

Sanji clung to Ace, as the man accelerated. They went from zero to the maximum speed – or maybe even faster, the cook wasn't sure – within a few seconds. Ace was obviously very accustomed at riding the motorcycle and without much effort they zigzagged between cars. Sanji peered over the black haired man's shoulder and froze when he saw a traffic light in front of them turn red. Ace didn't seem to notice and the chef closed his eyes, mumbling a quick prayer. But at the last second the other man hit the breaks and just in time they came to a stop.

"Do you always drive like this?" Sanji asked panting.

Ace smirked. "Why? Ya scared?"

"As if. But I prefer not to die."

The other man grinned at him and at that moment the traffic light turned green. Sanji wrapped his arms around Ace again, just in time as he accelerated.

When they came to a stop in front of his house, Sanji got off the motorcycle as quickly as he could and took off his helmet. Fixing his hair, he said: "Thanks for the ride."

As Ace showed no intention of leaving, the blonde turned around to him, looking puzzled. "Shouldn't you stop your brother from eating everything?"

"I did just bring you home. And I'm really in the mood for some coffee. You wouldn't want my nice gesture to go unreturned?" Ace blinked his eyelashes innocently in a way Sanji had thought only girls could. He sighed. No doubt the man had overheard his conversation with Zoro, but as he called upon Sanji's honour, the blonde couldn't ignore him.

"Would you like some coffee then?"

Ace jumped of his motorcycle and after pulling the keys from the engine, he followed the chef inside the house.

As expected, the blonde found everything in the same way as he left it yesterday morning. "Make yourself at home," he said to Ace before going into the kitchen to make coffee.

When he returned the other man had taken a seat at the dinner table and smiled at him. Sanji smiled back hesitantly and poured the coffee into two mugs.

Ace added three spoons of sugar and took a sip, seemingly not effected by the high temperature. He sighed contently. "That's just what I needed."

The smile on Sanji's face became genuine now that once again his cooking skills had made someone happy, even if it was just coffee.

"This is really good. Much better than the stuff out off the machine at work."

The cook frowned. "I should hope so. This is real Italian coffee."

A comfortable silence fell as both sipped from their beverage. Then Ace asked: "So why were you at Zoro's place? As you both were firmly of the opinion that it wasn't a date."

"It wasn't!" Sanji sighed and started to tell his story. Of course he left out the bit after he had his first glass of wine. He just hoped Zoro would be as discrete as well.

Ace seemed to muse for a bit. "I heard about that fire, but I wasn't on duty that night. I'm a fireman," he explained after seeing Sanji's puzzled face. "I heard it was really bad, they had been trying to put it out for hours."

The chef nodded. "And there wasn't much left," he said in a sad tone. "I'm not looking forward to tell the owner."

As if on queue, his phone, which lay on the couch, started to ring. Sanji checked the screen for the caller ID and cursed softly. "Sorry, I've got to take this," he apologized to Ace. The man smiled and nodded.

The chef took a deep breath and answered. "Hey."

"What the hell have you done to my restaurant?! I can't leave you in charge for two weeks?" a familiar and very angry voice shouted in his ear.

Sanji did his best not to get worked up. "Calm down, you shitty old fart! How did you even hear?"

"The newspaper. Where the hell have you been, lil' eggplant? I've been trying to call you all morning!"

"I was out and forgot my phone," Sanji answered truthfully. He looked at Ace. He had expected the man to leave after he finished his coffee, but the man just poured himself another cup and smiled at the chef with his innocent smile.

"You would even forget your own head if it wasn't stuck to you neck, string bean! Honestly, what did you do? Let one of those shitty cigarettes burn the place down?"

Now the blonde got angry as well. He walked into the kitchen and closed the door, though he doubted that would prevent Ace from overhearing. "Why do you naturally assume it is my fault, shitty old man? I'm not as stupid as the rest of those people that call themselves chefs!"

"So what then, hm? Did one of you idiots leave the stove on? Was it Patty? Or was Carne toying with a crème-brulée burner again? Who of those shitheads do I have to kick to the other side of the globe?"

Sanji waited until Zeff was finished ranting. The man tried to hide it, but he sounded very emotional. That was hardly strange. The Baratie had been the life's work of the old man. He had put everything into it. The restaurant had already been there when he adopted Sanji when he was still a young boy. When he was ten he started helping out doing the dishes. Despite Zeff being his adoptive father, the man had never gone easy on him. He started out as busboy, working his way up to head chef, but without any help from his old man, besides what he had been taught about cooking at home. His best memories were from the Baratie, filled with laughter and fighting.

And now everything they worked so hard for was gone. It as hard for him to hold himself together and he knew Zeff felt the same. The old man tried to hide it by ranting on and blaming the incompetent chefs. When he paused his angry outburst to breathe, Sanji took his chance. "It wasn't anybody's fault, old man, not ours at least. It was arson. Someone deliberately burned down the Baratie."

When it stayed silent at the other end of the line, the blonde continued: "I've talked to the arson inspector. I'm sure he will be happy to explain everything to you when you get back. But please, try to enjoy the rest of your vacation. I'll handle things here. As the fire wasn't our fault, our insurance should cover everything. Just don't worry, old man." Before Zeff could protest, he continued: "Trust me. I'll come to pick you up when you arrive at the airport."

When he got back to the living room Ace was just pouring himself his third – or perhaps fourth – cup of coffee. "You okay?" he asked while grabbing the sugar bowl.

"Yeah. That was the owner, my adoptive father." Sanji sank on a chair. "He's taking it hard, but he'll live. I tried to convince him to stay, as this is his first vacation in years. But I doubt he will go on holiday anytime soon after this."

Sanji walked to a drawer and grabbed his emergency pack of cigarettes. He couldn't smoke at all last night, just at the time when he had needed it the most. That was the reason he had resolved in drinking, and boy, had that been a mistake. He flinched when a few scenes from last night played in front of his eyes. He also grabbed a lighter and went back to the table. "Do you mind if I smoke?"

"It's your house, knock yourself out."

The chef lighted a cigarette and sighed happily when the nicotine hit his lungs. "Do you want one?"

"No thanks, I'm good. You know, there have been multiple buildings been catching on fire lately. It's probably some pyromaniac," Ace mused. "So I don't think it's personal."

Sanji was about to ask which other buildings had burned down – he had been working hard lately and hardly had the time to watch the news – when his phone started ringing again. Checking who was calling, his face went pale.

"Are you all right?" Ace asked worried.

"Yeah… It's my ex. She broke up with me the day before yesterday. I'm not sure I want to talk to her." Though Ace nodded understandingly, Sanji's own words got through to him. What was he thinking? It was rude to make a lady wait, let alone ignore her. So he answered. "Hello Conis, my dear."

"Sanji, I just heard about your restaurant. I'm so sorry."

The cook smiled. Despite the fact that she trampled his heart hardly a day ago, he was falling back in his old routines, treating her like a princess. "Unless you started the fire, you have nothing to apologize for, my angel." He got up and walked into the kitchen again, leaving Ace to finish the last coffee. His own beverage had already cooled off anyway.

"But still. My timing was very unfortunate. If I had known…"

"Sweety, please stop. You couldn't have known and if you did, it was no reason for you to continue dating me if you didn't want to. Really, I'm lucky you even stayed with me as long as you did."

It was quiet for a moment on the other end of the line. "Please don't stay stuff like that," Conis then said in her sweet voice. He took another drag from his cigarette as she continued: "You are an amazing man, really. You're always sweet and considerate, though sometimes you're a bit goofy, but that's okay. And I didn't broke it off because you sometimes flirted with other girls. I know that's innocent and you were always fateful. It's just…" Her voice sounded like she held back her tears. "It's just that you are too sweet. It's hard not to take advantage off, even if I don't want it." She started to sob.

"Please don't cry, princess," Sanji said softly. "There is no need for that. Yes, it has been a rough couple of days for me, but I can handle it. Please don't worry over me."

"Are you sure you're going to be okay?" she sniffled.

"Of course I will, darling. Thank you for calling. And my dove?"

"Yes?" the girl whispered.

The cook smiled watery. "Please smile again."

He heard her chuckle softly when she said: "I will. I hope you will too."

After she had hung up, the blonde swallowed hard a few times before he felt ready to face Ace again. He didn't want to look weak. But in the few weeks he and Conis had dated, he had started to care a lot for her. It had taken him by surprise when she had told him they couldn't see each other anymore. It was hard for her too, he had seen that, but he had wished she would explain why. But now that she had, he hardly felt any better. Mostly because he didn't quite understand the explanation.

"What does 'being to sweet' mean?" he asked half to himself when he sat down with Ace again.

The other man, who had been playing with Sanji's lighter, shrugged. "That was her reason for breaking it off?"

The chef nodded. "Something about easy to take advantage of. But that's not really a reason, is it?"

Ace shrugged again, this time smiling. "That's why I prefer men. Much less cryptic."

"Oh God, not you too," Sanji groaned, but then slammed immediately a hand in front of his mouth. "I didn't mean it like that! I have nothing against gay people. It's just, Zoro is gay and, well, I kinda hoped to talk to someone that would understand and…"

Ace, who had just raised his eyebrow at Sanji's comment, snickered. "It's always fun watching people trip over their words to find a politically correct answer."

"You're not mad?" Sanji asked carefully.

"Of course not. If you were some homophobe, Zoro probably wouldn't have let you stay. Or beat it out of you. Besides, I'm not gay. Let's just say that I never say no to a blonde with a nice ass." He winked at the cook.

"I didn't offer you one," he answered dryly. He grabbed another cigarette, as his first one had gone out, and let Ace lit it.

"But did Zoro tell you he was gay? Normally he's not so open about it. Or did he hit on you?" The black haired man grinned, probably imagining the gruff man flirting.

"No, I er… I found a magazine in his bathroom, which didn't leave much to the imagination." Sanji felt his cheeks slightly turn red as he remembered some of the pictures in it.

Ace burst into laughter once more. "Oh, that's precious. If only I could have seen your face. Or his face, when you confronted him! Or didn't you say anything?"

"Well, I had to make sure he knew I wasn't interested." The blonde was now certain his ears were bright red. "So there would be no confusion."

"So you're not interested in him?" Ace asked.

"No, I'm straight."

"Then, do I have a shot?"

Sanji was debating whether to repeat himself once more or just to give the guy a kick in the head. Honestly, was the man deliberately ignoring him? He took a deep breath and said with clenched teeth: "No, you do not."

"That's too bad. But anyway, what did Zoro say?" The other man hardly seemed regretful that Sanji just turned him down.

"He said he wasn't interested in me anyway." It was no use to lie, since Ace would be hearing the truth probably soon enough. To be honest, he had been a little offended when Zoro had told him that he would have had no taste to date him, even though he had no interest in men anyway.

Ace started to laugh once again. This time, it didn't seem like he would stop any time soon. Sanji wondered if he should be offended or if he should just join the man. He had quite a contagious laugh.

After Ace was done hiccupping, Sanji looked in the coffeepot to find it empty. He frowned. "How many cups have you had?"

"Dunno, five or six. But I need it to stay awake." The black haired man pouted.

The blonde cocked an eyebrow, but decided not to ask. "Do you want more?"

"I probably shouldn't, unless I want to become a hyperactive rubber ball like my brother. But I do have to pee."

"Upstairs, second door on your left." While Ace raced to the bathroom, Sanji collected the mugs and the coffeepot and brought them to the kitchen. When the other man came down, he was snickering again. "You have also a dirty magazine in your bathroom."

The blonde flushed. "Don't go through my private stuff!"

"You did it at Zoro's."

"I was looking for a towel after I had showered there! I wasn't snooping."

"So you were naked in his house?" Ace seemed to be lost in thought.

"Don't picture that!" Sanji's cheeks became even more crimson.

The black haired man grinned again. "Well anyways, thanks for the coffee. I should be going now. You should stop by at my place if you have the time. My brother probably would want to meet you." He scribbled down his address. In the hallway he grabbed his helmet. "See ya around."

Sanji sighed deep when he heard the door close. Despite the fact that Ace had intruded his house, his personality was very likeable and his company was a much welcomed distraction from his problems. There were so many things he had to do. But, he decided, first he had to put on some clean clothes. After he had changed and had prepared his old clothes to go to the drycleaner – if they weren't completely ruined by the rain of last night – he checked to see if he had missed any calls besides Zeff's. He had in fact, Patty and Carne had called, though he had no idea how they got his number. Only then it hit him. He and Zeff weren't the only ones suffering from the burning down of the restaurant, the rest of the staff did as well. And they probably had only found out this morning in the paper.

He decided to call an emergency meeting at his house that evening, so they could talk what had happened and what was going to happen next. He had called Zeff back to discuss a few details about what to say. It wasn't easy to convince the grumpy restaurant owner that Sanji could handle it and there was no reason to take the first plane back.

That night the cook's house was quite filled with people. Sanji had whipped up some hors d'oeuvres and now waited until everyone had arrived. When most were present, he stepped onto a chair and cleared his throat. "Can I have your attention please?"

When ignored, he decided on a different approach. "Oi, shitheads! And lovely ladies," he added, for the waitresses and female chefs. "I know you are all shocked about what happened to the Baratie. I am as well."

"Does Zeff know?" Patty asked.

"Yes, he has heard the news. Though this doesn't mean he is going to cut his vacation short. I'm sure you will all agree that he deserves this break after what he has done for you all." Most of the staff were all people that had committed a petty crime or had otherwise been in trouble, Sanji himself being no exception. But Zeff had taken them all under his wing and given them a job.

A murmur of approval filled the room. "Until he comes back, I will handle all things. None of you is going to disturb him, is that clear?" When the staff nodded, the blonde continued: "Now, have no fear. The Baratie is going to be rebuild. First thing in the morning I will go look for a new location. Our insurance should cover everything, so we should have enough money, but if not, we will make sure we get a loan. And we will keep you informed of course. But until then, I'm afraid you are going to have to find another job. Just for in the meantime. But as we are a family, we will be together again at the new restaurant!"

Applause filled the room and Sanji stepped down the chair. Patty and Carne came up to him. "Nice speech, eggplant," the first said grinning.

The blonde gave him a kick in the head. "Only the shitty old man can call me that." Then he sighed. "You think they all will be okay?"

"Sure they will. At the very worst they are out of a job for a few months," Carne said shrugging.

Sanji nodded, when an idea hit him. His face brightened. "Wait, now that we are temporarily not on the same staff anymore, I can ask out our waitresses!" And he danced away, followed by a trail of hearts.

~To be continued ~

* * *

Sorry, no smut this time. But remember, Sanji owes Zoro a favour. What will our swordsman ask for? Stay tuned~ (or at least bear with me ^^; )


	3. Chapter 3

Hello again~ Here's chapter 3 ^^

Thank you all again for your kind reviews (if I haven't got back to you, I'm sorry, but I'm really grateful). I also like to thank my pre-readers again, Thérèse and Vergina-spva. The latter is writing a ZoroSanji story herself (she's in my list of favorites if you're interested, sorry for the advertising XD)

Please enjoy chapter 3 ^^

**Hot as Fire**

**Chapter 3**

It was a couple of days later when Sanji received a phone call from the police, saying that they had arrested a suspect. The female officer who called asked him if he could stop by the police station that afternoon. There would be an identity parade, and they wanted to see it he would recognize any of the persons in any way. Of course Sanji told her he would be there, and if she would still be there he would bring her lunch. Unfortunately she only had a morning shift.

This was the second time in a few days he had talked to the police. Two days after he had met Zoro two police officers had come by to ask him some questions about the Baratie. At some point one of them implied Sanji himself might have something to do with it, to collect the insurance money. It was a good thing the other officer had been a woman, otherwise he definitely had lost his temper. Now he had explained with clenched jaws how the restaurant was his life and how he had been nowhere near the scene of the crime. Fortunately he had an alibi, as he had been drinking in a bar to forget about Conis before he had gone home, there were enough witnesses. As his car was at the garage to get fixed, there was no way he could have been there when the fire started. The officers had left satisfied, the female even more as Sanji had whispered to her she could have a free meal as soon as the Baratie reopened, for being so beautiful.

Frankly, the phone call made the chef's day. Not only because he had had the chance to talk to a beautiful woman – at least she sounded beautiful – he was also relieved there was a suspect already. His feet were itching to kick the shit out of the little bastard. No one touched his restaurant.

But most of all he was happy to just get out of the house. In the last few days he only got outside to buy groceries. The rest of the time he was only busy with the insurance of the Baratie, making phone calls to get the money as soon as possible, and finding a new place for the restaurant. So far he hadn't been lucky and he hadn't even had time to find a temporary job.

When he left for the police station it was still early. Though he would rather have walked, the journey would take him too long, so he took the bus.

A friendly – though male – officer welcomed him at the police station. He was still young, probably fresh from the academy. The boy looked through a pile of papers, by which his thick glasses slid from his oddly coloured hair – it was pink – onto his nose. Sanji needed to fill in some forms and had to prove he was who he claimed to be. Only then the boy showed him where he could wait.

As Sanji was flipping through a boring magazine, a police officer entered. He was looking more high ranked then the boy at the entrance. "Sanji Prince?" he asked in a gruff voice.

The cook stood and shook the man's hand. He couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. Was it a requirement for police officers to look odd? This man had a purple mohawk, which was longer in the back and a very pointy moustache in a matching colour.

"My name is inspector Momonga. Follow me please."

He let Sanji to a small room with a window, looking out over a different room. "Now, listen very carefully," the inspector continued. "When I give the signal, five people are being led in the room behind the glass. Don't worry, they can't see you."

Sanji snorted. Those suspects should be more scared of him.

"Look carefully if you recognize anyone from, for example, hanging around the Baratie. Remember to take your time. Is that clear?"

As Sanji nodded, the inspector pressed a button and said: "Show them in."

Five men walked in. They wore signs with the numbers one to five on them. All had about the same height and looked somewhat alike. But when number five walked in, Sanji froze.

He looked like the other men, a little taller then average built, muscular, black hair. But different from the others was the grin that lay on his freckled face.

Sanji quickly tried to behave normal, but Momonga had already noticed. "Who do you recognize?" he asked in his gruff voice.

"No one," the blonde tried to talk his way out, but it was clear it wasn't going to work. "Number five," he said sighing.

"Are you sure?"

When he nodded, Momonga pressed the button again and said the suspects could leave again.

"Look, I don't know Ace from the restaurant. I met him when it already burned down," Sanji tried to explain as the men left the other room.

"Why don't we talk in my office?"

* * *

A while later Sanji left Momonga's room. He had tried to explain how he knew Ace as clearly as he could without going in too much detail. He hoped the inspector would understand and let Ace go. He could at least comfort himself with the thought he had done everything he could.

As he was about to go home, he saw a familiar green head of hair. The man was sitting on a bench with a black haired boy beside him. The chef tried to pass them without them noticing him, as he didn't feel like talking to Zoro. But he had already been spotted.

The green haired man jerked his head up. "You," he said in a dangerously calm voice.

"Hey," Sanji said carefully. The eyes of the man in front of him seemed darker then he remembered, perhaps of anger?

His suspicions were confirmed when Zoro closed his hand around his neck and lifted him a few inches from the ground, pressing him against the wall. "Did you do this to Ace? To Luffy?" the green haired man yelled. All the calmness had disappeared.

"Who's Luffy?" Sanji managed to choke out, his lungs screaming for oxygen.

Zoro pointed to the boy behind him, who looked at them curiously.

"I didn't…" The chef swallowed, before he decided to give the other man a sharp kick in the shin. Zoro's grip slacked and Sanji slid to the ground, rubbing his sore throat. "What the hell was that for? Why would I say Ace was the culprit? I kinda like the guy. Besides, I didn't even meet him until _after_ the Baratie burned down."

"Who knows what goes on in that perverted brain of yours," Zoro snorted.

Sanji was about to yell at him he wasn't the only pervert here, when he felt a tug on his sleeve. When he turned around, he saw the black haired boy . "Are you Sanji?" he asked with a slightly cocked head.

"I am. You must be Ace's brother, Luffy."

"I am," he parroted. "You are a chef, right? Can you cook me some meat?"

The blonde was stunned. Just a few moments ago the boy had looked quite upset. Hell, his brother was _arrested_. And he thought of meat? Sure, Ace had mentioned the boy shouldn't be left alone with a full fridge, but this was hardly the time to think about food.

"No, I cannot," he answered irritated. "And not in the last place because we are at the police station."

The boy pouted. Sanji could still feel Zoro's stare at the back of his head. Sharply he turned around. "What?"

"Why are you here?"

"They asked me to identify a suspect. I didn't know it would be Ace."

"What did you tell them?"

"The truth. That I have never seen him near the Baratie and I met him only after the fire. Everything should be fine," Sanji added, talking more to Luffy than Zoro. "I don't think he is the pyromaniac either. And now I have to go. Bye." Walking away with one hand in his pocket he waved shortly, giving the two men no chance to stop him.

He didn't actually have to leave, as he didn't feel like working at the insurance stuff again, but the whole situation mad him feel uncomfortable. First his sort-of-friend got arrested, then he met the strange brother and to make matters worse, Zoro was there. He had no idea what the man was planning and he dreaded the favour he was ought to return.

He lighted a cigarette to calm his nerves, when he walked past an old bookstore. Then a smile appeared on his lips. He had been to this bookstore many times before, in fact, he bought all his books there. And he hadn't been there in a while.

A small bell sounded as he opened the door. The man behind the counter looked up, a huge grin laying on his face. Sanji couldn't remember seeing the man without his trademark smile. The blonde was impressed the man always seemed to be in a good mood, considering all the bad things that had happened to him. Across the man's left eye ran three parallel scars, made by an unknown cause. On top of that, he had only one arm. Sanji had been told he lost it in a car accident. When he was rescued, his left arm had been stuck and the only way to get him out was by cutting it off. The blonde had been wondering why he never got a prosthetic arm.

"It has been a while, kiddo," the bookstore owner greeted him cheerfully.

"Hi Shanks. Indeed it has." He was glad he thought of bringing his reading glasses.

"I've been expecting you. I've got something for you." The man ducked under the counter and when he got up, he was holding a book. "The new Nigella Lawson. Or have you been cheating on me and bought it somewhere else?" he added in a mock-accusing tone.

"Of course not. I just have been too busy to stop by. Just leave it there, you know I will buy it anyway."

Shanks snickered and placed the book on the counter as Sanji strolled to the shelf of other cookbooks. He barely had got his reading glasses out of his pocket, when he heard a loud noise, like something heavy fell.

"Are you okay?" he heard Shanks ask.

Surprised, he was about to say he was all right, when a deep voice said: "Yeah, fine."

The chef peered around the corner and saw a man he didn't know standing with Shanks. He was a little taken aback, as he usually was the only costumer.

The man looked like he was in the second half of his forties. His greying hair fell on his shoulders and his black t-shirt was covered in dust. His face reminded Sanji somewhat of a sailor, covered in scars and hardened by wind and water.

"A box of books fell on me," the man explained curtly.

"That explains the dust," Shanks snickered as he dusted him off. "Ah Sanji, come meet Benn."

The chef walked up to them, hanging his glasses onto his collar.

"Benn, this is Sanji, one of my best costumers. Sanji, meet Benn, my friend. He helps me in the store from time to time."

The blonde nodded. Though he was a little surprised he was only one of the best, he had been wondering how Shanks managed to keep the store up and running without any staff, as he only had one arm to work with. Apparently his friend did the heavy work.

Benn snatched Sanji's hand and shook it firmly. The blonde could swear he heard his bones crack. When the older man finally let go, Sanji moved his hand, making sure it wasn't broken. He tried to be discrete, but Shanks took notice. He burst into laughter. "Benn, be careful with the boy. He's a chef, he needs his hands. Which reminds me, that's a shame about your restaurant."

The chef blinked, he was caught a bit off guard by the sudden change of topic. "Yeah, it is."

"Do you know how it happened?" the red haired man asked after he had explained the situation to his friend.

"Arson. They already have a suspect."

"That sure is quick."

"But the thing is…" Sanji hesitated for a moment, "I don't think he did it."

"The suspect? Do tell." Shanks looked at him intrigued.

"Well, I met the guy before he got arrested. He is very nice."

"Don't let his appearance fool you," Benn said in a gruff voice.

Sanji cocked an eyebrow, but Shanks gave his friend a soothing pat on the shoulder and said to the chef: "Don't listen to him, he has trust issues."

The blonde nodded, noticing how Shanks touched Benn more than necessary. The other man didn't seem to mind, at least he didn't complain. The chef raised an eyebrow, but decided not to say anything.

"I have to go," Benn said suddenly, placing his pocket watch back. "I have to pick up Rika from kindergarten. I'll finish up here tomorrow."

"Sure. Are you coming over tonight? I invited the guys to have a party," Shanks inquired.

"Of course you did. I'll try to make it if I can find a babysitter." The little bell at the door jingled again as the grey haired man left the store.

Sanji stared after him. First of all, he hadn't heard the bell when he was in the store, which meant that Benn had already been there when he arrived. Damn, that man could be stealthy. The second thing he wondered about, was that Benn had a child, such a small one for that matter.

As if guessing his thoughts, Shanks said: "Rika was his brother's daughter. He and his wife died in a plane crash. Benn took custody of her. He's doing a surprisingly good job on his own." The red haired man smiled, reminding Sanji somewhat of a teenage girl in love and confirming his theory that Shanks in fact had a crush on his friend. Or maybe they were already more than friends. But Sanji doubted that, seeing the book store owner did nothing to hide his sexuality and had introduced Benn just as his friend.

"I should do something nice for him," Shanks continued, more to himself than to his customer. "It's always good to do something nice for a friend, don't you agree? Hell, it is even good to do something kind for someone you barely know."

The blonde nodded again, doubting the bookstore owner realised he was still there. But the man did gave him an idea. "Shanks?"

The man woke up from his thoughts and looked at Sanji like he was surprised to see him there.

"I'll just take Nigella today, I just remembered I have to do something."

The red haired man picked up the cookbook he had still laying on the counter. "Just one book? How will I ever pay for my second beach house?" he said in mock-disappointment.

"I already paid most for the first one. But next time I'll buy more," Sanji promised grinning as he paid. He greeted Shanks and left the store. He looked at his watch. If he was going through with this he had to hurry. With his new cookbook tugged under his arm, he sat down at the bus stop, trying not to think about what happened the last time he sat there.

* * *

About two hours later he was standing in front of the house he had been looking for. In his arms he had a bag full of groceries. He checked the address one more time, before taking a deep breath and ringing the doorbell.

The gorgeous young woman that answered the door wasn't at all what he expected, but was hardly a disappointment. "Good afternoon, beautiful lady." He made a light bow, making sure the groceries didn't fall out of the bag. "I'm looking for Luffy, does he live here?" He tried to look inside the house, but the woman blocked his view by leaning against the doorframe. He saw no reason to complain.

The girl raised an unimpressed eyebrow at his flirtations and flipped her long orange hair behind her shoulder. "Who's asking?"

"Ah, pardon my manners! My name is Sanji." He reached out his hand, but the girl just stared at it. "I was a chef in the restaurant that burned down and–"

Before he could finish, the woman turned around and tried to close the door. Hastily the cook placed his food between the door. It wasn't his habit to defy a lady's wish, but he really wanted to talk to Luffy. "Please, my lovely swan! If you are even a little as understanding as you are beautiful, I'm sure you will understand. I mean no harm, really. I just thought maybe I could prepare some food–"

The door opened again, but instead of the lady now Luffy stood in the doorway, his head cocked a little. "Food?"

Sanji smiled. "Yeah, I thought you would feel bad, so maybe you would like some comfort food."

The raven haired boy sniffed the bag like a hungry dog. "Do you have meat in there?"

"Sure," the blonde answered a bit surprised by his eagerness.

The red haired girl, who was still standing behind Luffy in the hallway, snorted. "You know he is the reason Ace got arrested, right? It's because _his_ restaurant burned down."

"Listen, my swan, I don't think Ace did it–"

"Just let him in, Nami, he's a good guy," a deep voice suddenly said.

The shivers went down Sanji's spine. No way that _he_ was here…

The woman, Nami, still didn't seem happy about it, but let him in anyway. Luffy walked, or better bounced, beside him, asking: "So what kind of meat have you in there? Is it a lot?"

When they entered the living room, Sanji stopped dead at seeing the familiar green head of hair. Zoro was sitting on the couch holding a bottle of beer. "So we meet again. It almost looks like you are stalking me," he smirked.

"Maybe you're the one stalking me!" the blonde flung back.

The swordsman straightened and the two glared at each other dangerously.

Nami looked from one to the other. "So the two of you know each other?"

"Hardly," Sanji snorted. "Where can I find the kitchen?" He slapped Luffy's hand away, which had snuck into the bag of groceries. He wondered if he'd let the boy, he would eat it raw.

She pointed him. "I'm Nami, by the way."

"The pleasure is all mine." He smiled at her again and walked to the kitchen, meanwhile kicking Luffy away and yelling him to wait until dinner was served.

Nami sat down next to Zoro, grabbing her own beer. "So is he like an ex of yours or something?"

"Why would you say that?" he responded, eyebrows raised.

"He seems like your type."

The green haired man almost choked in his beer. "I just met him before." He coughed and wiped the tears from his eyes. "Can't you tell he's straight? He was flirting with you the entire time."

Nami shrugged. "I just figured he was overcompensating."

A noise came from the kitchen, sounding like all the crockery fell on the floor. Sanji came rushing into the living room. "That is so harsh, Nami-swan, even coming from a beautiful mouth like yours."

Zoro snickered and pretending he hadn't heard the blonde he said: "Yeah, that's what I figured as well."

"Shut up, bastard!"

A flying kick neared his head and he ducked just in time. He pushed the chef back, making a mental note always to bring his swords from now on, seeing he seemed to meet Sanji everywhere.

Their fight ended in a wrestling match. Nami ignored them, probably used to Zoro fighting, but Luffy started to laugh.

The men on the ground ceased their fight, with Zoro having the blonde in a hold, and looked at the boy. "You guys are so funny," Luffy hiccupped.

Sanji looked at the swordsman, who had a slight smile on his face. He must be happy to see Luffy laugh after what had happened with his brother. The chef pushed Zoro off him and straightened his tie. "I should check on my steaks." He glared at the green haired one more time and strolled to the kitchen again, followed by Luffy acclaiming: "Yay, meat!"

* * *

About half an hour later Sanji put the last dish on the table. He had ordered Luffy to set the table, or otherwise no meat. The table had never been set faster.

The cook had prepared a simple dish, as he hadn't had his usual assortment of spices and herbs. Nami and Zoro loaded their plates fast, to Sanji's astonishment, until he saw how Luffy put away the rest. He got up, glad to have some food left over in the kitchen.

When he got back, Zoro just gave the raven haired boy a smack on the head for trying to steal his food. Sanji shook his head, smiling. It sure was a lively meal eating with Luffy. He barely had thought that, or he had to kick the black haired boy himself.

After they ate, or in Luffy's case inhaled the food, the blonde did the dishes, as Zoro dried them. The blonde had refused Nami's half-hearted offer to help and Luffy was too hyperactive to hold a wet plate without breaking it.

They washed and dried in silence, until the swordsman said: "Thanks for doing this."

"Well, sure. I can't ask a lady to put her delicate hands into dirty dishwater?"

"Not that, you love-cook! I mean stopping by for Luffy."

Sanji shrugged. "I just figured the boy would be down and Ace mentioned something about him having an insatiable appetite. Being a chef, it wasn't all that hard to think of something to cheer him up."

"Still, you didn't have to come." The green haired man was silent for a moment. "I'm glad you don't think Ace is responsible for the fire at your restaurant."

The blonde shrugged. "Well, I met the guy and he doesn't seem like the type. But don't get me wrong, if he did it–"

"He didn't," Zoro interrupted him hotly, almost breaking the plate he was holding.

Sanji kept silent as he rinsed the last pan and handed it to the swordsman. After that he strolled to the living room and asked: "Is there somewhere I can smoke?"

Nami, who was trying to make Luffy sit still on the couch, raised an eyebrow and said: "Outside."

As the blonde put a cigarette between his lips, Zoro entered and sat down on the couch, his eyes never leaving the chef.

"So is this the guy you like?" Luffy had barely enough tact to wait until they heard the front door close.

The green haired man froze. "W-what makes you think that?" he chocked out.

Luffy shrugged. "Ace said you liked a blond cook."

Nami started to laugh. "I knew it!"

Zoro cursed under his breath. Ace and his big mouth! After his friend had dropped off Sanji, he immediately had called Zoro to tell him what had happened and to pry about the night before. He had not told Ace about the 'incident', but somehow his friend always knew stuff like this and he had no doubt the man at least had a hunch. He did confess he had the hots for the blonde after Ace had pulled it out of him. Ace immediately started to think of plans how Zoro could get closer to Sanji, but the green haired man had assured him he could figure something out for himself.

But now that he saw the blonde again, he had no idea what to do. Though he had nothing against gay people, the man had been quite clear he wasn't into men, nor would he ever be. The only thing Zoro could do was to keep Sanji close and establish a friendship. And as the chef still owed him a favour, he should think of something fun.

He got up and walked to the door.

"Are you going to your lover?" Nami teased.

He turned around. "I'm just following his example and get the hell away from you, hag."

Opening the door, he saw Sanji with a phone to his ear making wild gestures with the hand holding his cigarette. "Don't do this to me, Gin. You know what he will do to me if I don't pick him up." He kept silent for a moment, as the person on the other end of the line said something. "You better not ditch me for one of your shitty dates." A silence again. Sanji scratched the back of his head. "Well, I suppose that is a good excuse. Tell your mom I hope she feels better soon." But then his tone turned angry again. "Oi, I thought you said you had to take your mother to the shitty hospital!" Apparently the person on the other end of the line had hung up, because Sanji looked at his phone and mumbled: "Fucker."

"Everything okay?"

The blonde jumped and turned around. "Oi, don't sneak up to me like that!"

Zoro snickered. "You should be better aware of your surroundings, especially at night. Who knows what some people want to do to a pretty little blonde like you."

"Don't make me sound like a girl, bastard!"

The green haired man grinned again, but then straightened his face. "So what was that conversation about?"

Sanji stared at his phone. "I'm supposed to pick Zeff up from the airport in a few hours, but my car is still broken. So I had asked a friend to lent me his car, but he just called to say that he needs it tonight."

"To take his mother to the hospital?"

The blonde gave a scornful laugh. "That's what he said, but then I heard a doorbell in the background and he said: 'There she is already!' And I doubt he would let his sick mother come to his house to take her to the hospital. The shithead leaves me hanging for a fucking date." He took an angry puff at his cigarette.

"I can take you," Zoro offered.

Sanji stared at him like he just suggested to do indecent things to him. "No no, you've done quite enough for me. I don't want to be anymore in your debt than I already am."

"So, what? You're gonna let Zeff take the bus?" the swordsman asked mockingly.

"He'd kill me if I did that. I could call a cab," the chef mused. His face got a painful expression. "Poor cabdriver."

Zoro shrugged. "Suit yourself."

He was about to go inside again, when Sanji grabbed his arm. "Wait. Okay, you can take me to the airport. But only if you do it as a favour to him, not for me."

"Whatever."

Inside they told Nami and Luffy their plans. The woman gave Zoro a knowing look and he mumbled under his breath: "Witch."

Sanji looked at his watch and said it was still a little early to leave, as it wouldn't be a long drive. But Nami assured him that with Zoro as a driver they needed all the time they could get, causing the swordsman to yell at her and Luffy to roll over the floor laughing.

The green haired man still growled insults as he grabbed his jacket, but deep down he didn't really mind that much. Sure, Nami was and always had been a money-grabbing bitch, but at least now he could spent some more time with the blonde. Alone.

To be continued~

* * *

For those of you who are wondering, Nami is post-time skip and Zoro, Sanji and Luffy pre-time skip. At least for now ;)


	4. Chapter 4

Hello again~!

It's chapter 4 already (time flies). My thanks go to my pre-readers and of course everyone who read and review my stories (if I haven't gotten back to your review, like always, I'm sorry ^^;)

Please enjoy!

**Hot as Fire**

**Chapter 4**

"Now go left," a metallic female voice came from the navigation system. Zoro put on his indicator.

The blond chef next to him sighed deeply. "The other left, Marimo."

The swordsman looked at him confused. "But there's only one left."

"Yes, the complete opposite direction of were you were about to go."

Zoro muttered something about making up their minds which direction was which, but he put on the indicator to the left at the last second.

Sanji couldn't hide his smile. Nami had been right that they should take all the time they could get, with Zoro's sense of direction… At first the blonde had trusted the swordsman had known were he was going, after all, he just had to follow the signs. After their third U-turn, Sanji had found a navigation system in the glove compartment, but that hardly helped the directionally challenged marimo. Then the cook had resolved in pointing out the directions with his hands, but Zoro had only gotten mad and yelled he wasn't retarded. So now Sanji only interfered when the other man put his wrong indicator on – which was most of the time.

The silence in the car was probably good for Zoro to focus on the road, but it made the chef uneasy. "Is Nami the one that called you when I was at your place?" he dared to ask.

"Yeah."

Sanji sighed. How on earth had he thought the moss headed swordsman would answer with more than one word. "So how did you meet?"

"College."

The blonde felt like smashing his head into the dashboard. Was it too much to ask to elaborate of his own record? "So you guys have been friends for a long time?" he asked with clenched teeth.

"I suppose. Though Nami and Luffy are more than friends now."

"Eeh?!" Sanji's jaw almost hit the floor. "They're dating?!"

The green haired man raised an eyebrow. "Yeah. You didn't get that?"

"But how can a beautiful swan like that date someone like Luffy? Although," he continued musing, "it does explain why she didn't gave in to my advances."

"No. That's just because you are a moron."

"What did you say?!"

Though he had already seen some of the cook's flexibility, it still surprised him when the blond man managed to kick him without taking his seatbelt off.

They drove further in silence, aside from the occasional directions from Sanji, when the chef asked: "So, what's with the swords?"

"Kendo."

The blonde rolled his eyes. "I assumed that much. But real swords?"

Zoro shrugged. "Swords always fascinated me. And real ones are more fun than wooden ones. What's with the kicks?"

Sanji decided to answer Zoro-style. "Savate."

"That's French, right?"

"Yeah. I did a chef's training in France, when I learned it existed. Zeff's always kicking me, so I figured he has learned it as well. He's created is own style, though. Anyway, I wanted to beat him, so basically all I did in France was cooking and training. And flirting with beautiful women of course."

At the last remark Zoro rolled his eyes, but then he asked: "But you can use your hands in savate, right? Why don't you?"

"You really know your martial arts," Sanji said a little impressed. "Yes, according to the rules you can use your open hand in combat. But as a chef, my hands are way too important to risk. Besides, the way I fight is how it was intended, by sailors who had their hands full back in the 1800s," he added in a cocky way. "Take this exit."

A bit caught off guard, Zoro asked unintelligently: "Huh?"

"This exit. Go right! Follow the huge sign which says 'airport'!" Sanji waved with his right hand impatiently.

Hastily Zoro put on his indicator and at the last moment swung the steering wheel to the right, ignoring the sounds of angry honking behind him.

* * *

"So, what does the guy looks like?" Zoro asked frowning as they were making their way through the crowd.

"Hm, old geezer, grumpy. He's blond and has a moustache." Sanji thought for a moment. "Ah, and he has a peg leg."

"Shouldn't you have said that one first?" Zoro mumbled. Really, there were a lot of people with moustaches, weren't there? And how many people had peg legs nowadays?

But when he saw the guy, he understood why Sanji had mentioned the moustache first. It was huge, and on top of that, it was braided.

The younger chef didn't wave, he just strolled to the restaurant owner and nodded to him in acknowledgment. "Old geezer."

"Eggplant," was the gruff response.

Zoro looked from one to the other. There was a lot of tension in the air. Both man stood in a defensive pose, ready to strike.

Finally the older man snorted and the tension seemed to drain. "So, who's the grass head?"

Sanji couldn't help but smirk at Zoro's new nickname. "Your chauffeur. My car broke down, so Marimo offered to bring you home."

"My name's not Marimo. At least introduce me properly, Curly-brow!" the swordsman snapped. Then he looked at the older chef. "I'm Zoro."

"Zeff. So, String-bean, now your car's broken too? You can't do anything right, can you?"

Zoro watched Sanji's cheeks flush with anger. This man really knew how to rile him up. But then again, so did the swordsman. He smirked. The blonde looked rather cute like this.

"Just be happy I took the time to pick you up, you shitty old fart!"

While the two argued Zoro's mind drifted to the conversation he had with Sanji earlier. When the chef had talked about the sailors who invented savate. 'Quite fitting,' he thought, now that he heard him argue. The man cussed like a sailor himself. Though Zeff had quite a colourful vocabulary as well. They only stopped bickering when a large group of people had gathered around them and Sanji saw a young mother put her hands over the ears of her son. Abruptly he shut up.

Zeff cleared his throat. "Let's leave now, before someone calls the cops. Again. Now, go get my suitcase."

"You heard the man," Sanji smirked at Zoro, which earned him a kick in the head with Zeff's peg leg. "I meant you, String-bean."

* * *

As they walked to the car, Sanji lit a cigarette. Zeff snorted. "And you're sure not one of those cancer sticks burned down my restaurant?"

"I already told you, it was arson, old man!"

Zeff snorted again. "With a bunch of incompetent chefs such as yourself, I find that hard to believe."

"The police even made an arrest!" The blonde massaged his temples with his fingers. "That's it. Tomorrow I call the arson inspector and let _him_ explain it to you. Fortunately, he seemed like a man with a lot of patience."

As Zoro walked to the door at the side of the driver's seat, Sanji crushed the butt of his cigarette. "Are you sure I shouldn't drive?"

"Why would you drive? It's my damn car."

The blonde rolled his eyes. "I know it's yours. Mine doesn't look like it is going to fall apart by mere looking at it. But it's getting late and with your sense of direction…"

"There is noting wrong with my sense of direction."

"Okay, think quickly. What's your right hand?"

Zoro held up his right hand. "This is." Seeing Sanji's raised eyebrow, he added uncertain: "Isn't it?"

An amused smirk spread across the cook's face. "I knew it. It was just a lucky guess. Now give me the damn car keys."

"Like hell! How do I know that weird looking thing you call an eyebrow doesn't have an effect on your brain?"

"At least my eyebrow isn't spread across my head. It could only influence a small part of my brain, unlike the roots of the grass growing in your head!"

While they were bickering, Zeff yawned. "Could you two continue this at home? You sound like an old married couple."

Turning around sharply, Sanji exclaimed: "Don't you dare call us that, old geezer!"

The restaurant owner shrugged. "It's none of my business what you do in your free time. Now, let's head home, so the two of you can have make up sex."

Zoro snickered. The blonde looked furious right now, so the swordsman decided to give one last push. "Come on, dear."

That did it. Sanji exploded. The only thing what the swordsman could see was a rain of kicks landing down on him. Though he defended himself as well as he could without his swords, for a second he thought this was how he would die. It had been worth it, though.

Fortunately, Zeff intervened and prevented his untimely death. "Stop playing around, Lil' Eggplant." With a swift kick in the head, the younger chef froze and rubbed the painful spot. He was still mumbling cuss words when Zoro stepped grinning behind the steering wheel.

After some detours they finally arrived at Zeff's house. It was an old building, but well maintained. Zoro stayed in the car as Sanji helped the older man unload his suitcase out of the boot. He looked up when he heard someone knocking on the window. "Come in, grasshopper, I'll make you some food," the restaurant owner said.

Not knowing whether he should be insulted or not, the green haired man stepped out of the car. The first thing he saw though, was Sanji's smirking face. "You're coming too?" he asked gruff.

"Of course I'm coming. Just be honoured you are allowed to spent more time in my company." The blonde tilted his head in a cocky way.

Zoro snorted, but followed the cook anyway. At least he had a nice view.

Inside Zeff immediately went to the kitchen. The younger cook was right behind him, but after a few minutes he was back, sitting on the couch next to Zoro and handing him a beer.

"Shouldn't you be in the kitchen?" the green haired man asked taking a sip.

Sanji snorted. "Like the old geezer will let me help."

They sat in silence for a while. Zoro noticed that the blonde had brought a coke for himself and couldn't help but grin. It seemed like the young chef wasn't comfortable drinking around him anymore.

"So," broke Sanji the silence. It was obvious he was ill at ease. "Did you think of anything yet?"

"A favour for you to do, you mean? No, not yet."

The cook took a relieved breath, but said: "Okay, let me know when you do."

A little while after that Zeff came in holding three plates. He gave Sanji and Zoro each one and then took a seat in an old rocking chair. He and the blond started to talk about the restaurant and shit, so the swordsman tuned them out. He had been getting hungry again in the meantime and attacked the food like he hadn't eaten in days. It was delicious, even better than Sanji's cooking. Well, now he had met the master.

Sanji looked at him disgusted as he crammed down the food. "You're starting to look like Luffy, Marimo."

"'s Good," he answered with his mouth full.

Zeff nodded approvingly seeing his healthy appetite. Then he turned to Sanji. "Why are you letting that poor boy starve? I surely taught you better than that."

"Starve? We just ate right before we came to pick you up! True, there was another guy who seemed to have a black hole instead of a stomach, but I made sure everyone ate enough. Like I always do."

Zeff just shook his head.

* * *

The next morning Sanji woke up late. They had ended up staying quite a while with the old geezer. Zeff had liked Zoro, much to the blonde's annoyance. To think that the two most irritating people he knew could gang up on him… He already regretted introducing them.

After that Zoro had brought him home, even though he and Zeff didn't live far apart. For some reason there had been a lot of tension in the air. When they arrived at Sanji's place, the green haired man had scratched the back of his head and asked if he should walk him to the door. The blonde had yelled at him that this wasn't a fucking date and that he was taking the old man's married couple joke too far. After that he had slammed the car door shut.

He sighed and stood up to take a shower. Maybe he had overreacted, but he was tired and the guy just knew how to get under his skin. When he had left Zoro's place, he could have just walked out of there and never looked back. But his pride withheld him. He couldn't just let _that_ favour go unreturned, even if he hadn't asked for it. But at that point he had just thought he would repay his debt and that would be it. But as it turned out, Zoro was everywhere. And the worst was that it were just coincidences. If the swordsman was stalking him, he could beat the shit out of him and get a restraining order or something. But no, it were fucking coincidences and there was nothing he could do about it. Especially now that Zeff liked the marimo. No, he was stuck with him.

Sighing he dried himself off and made a light breakfast. He decided not to think about it anymore. At least not until Zoro had thought of something to repay his debt.

After he had eaten he grabbed the phone to call the arson inspector. Maybe he could get through to the shitty old geezer's thick skull and Zeff would stop accusing Sanji of the destruction of the restaurant.

The phone rung a few times before it was answered.

"Marco Fenwick."

"Hey Marco, it's Sanji. From the Baratie."

"Ah, yes. What can I do for you?"

"You said to call if I had any questions. Well, the owner, Zeff, is back in town and he doesn't seem to believe the whole arson story."

It stayed silent at the other end of the line for a moment. Sanji was just about to check if the man was still there, when Marco continued: "He doesn't believe it's _arson_?"

"No. He keeps accusing me and the other chefs of doing something stupid to let it happen."

The arson inspector burst into laughter. "That's so ironic. Usually someone does something stupid and people wish it was arson. But now it's the other way around and he's still not happy."

The blonde waited patiently until the man was done hiccupping, before he asked: "So I was wondering if you could explain it to Zeff. Maybe if he hears the technical details, he'll believe it."

Sanji heard some ruffling through papers, probably Marco was checking his dayplanner. "Sure, if you like, I could pop by tonight. I'll be there around six."

"That would be great, thanks. I'll make sure there's dinner."

"That's the least I expect when visiting two chefs," Marco joked.

* * *

It was towards six thirty when the doorbell rang. Though Sanji had promised he would take care of dinner, Zeff had kicked him out of the kitchen before he could have gotten an apron. Grumbling something about shitty old farts who thought they could do it better, the younger chef opened the door and showed Marco in. The arson inspector was a tall, slightly muscled man in his early thirties, with blond hair in an odd hairstyle, for some reason reminding Sanji of a pineapple. He had some stubble on his chin from a few days not shaving. His eyes were a bit droopy, as if he was really bored, but the chef had soon learned that was just his face in a relaxed state. In reality he was quite nice to talk to.

Sanji showed Marco in and called for Zeff. The older cook came in with in his hands a steaming bowl, filled with food.

"First we eat," he said gruff after curtly introducing himself.

During dinner Marco explained Zeff the technical details about the fire. He had found traces of an inflammable fluid. Sanji hardly listened. He had already heard the story and at this point all he could think about is what Zoro might have in store for him. So much for not thinking about it.

"So, how's the investigation going?"

Marco's question started him from his thoughts. "Sorry?"

"The investigation. Or doesn't the police keep you up-to-date?"

"O yeah, that. Actually, they already arrested someone."

Taking a bite, Marco raised an eyebrow. "So soon? They really want that pyromaniac behind bars. Have you seen him?"

The chef nodded. "Though I don't think he did it. I mean, what kind of fireman is a firebug at night?"

Marco's fork paused on the way to his mouth. "Fireman?"

"Yeah. Name's Ace."

Now the fork slipped from the man's hand and his eyes widened. "P-Portgas?!"

"I don't know the guy's last name," Sanji shrugged. "Ya know him?"

The arson inspector wiped his fork clean with his napkin, his cheeks slightly red from embarrassment. "We've never met."

The younger chef exchanged a confused look with Zeff as Marco seemed to be lost in thought. "That explains some things," the arson inspector mumbled.

Sanji was about to ask if he meant that Ace was capable of arson, but his adoptive father shook his head almost unnoticeable. Marco had his own things to deal with.

After dinner the arson inspector politely refused coffee and got ready to leave, saying he still had stuff to. Sanji didn't buy that though. Ever since he revealed Ace was arrested, the man had been rather quiet.

So when the arson inspector had left the house, he quickly said goodbye to Zeff and followed Marco outside. "You okay?" he asked.

The other man stopped and toyed with his car keys. "Sure. I just need to do stuff."

"Like what?"

When Marco didn't answer him, he continued: "Wanna grab a beer? On me of course."

"I just got a free dinner."

"I know. But if you're going to worry about shit, what better way to do it than with booze?" Sanji explained chuckling.

The arson inspector thought it over for a moment, and then nodded. "Sure. A beer sounds good."

The two of them strolled to Marco's car, a light blue sports wagon. Sanji whistled impressed. "Nice car. Getting a bit overpaid?"

Marco just smirked and got behind the wheel, as Sanji opened the door on the passengers side. The seats were from leather. This car was so much better than the rust-bucket Zoro called his ride. He really should stop thinking about that guy, before it drove him mad. The marimo wasn't here and for the first time in a long time he was out with someone he actually got along with. No way he let that green haired bastard ruin his night without even being there.

They drove to the nearest bar, but before Marco could get out of the car, Sanji stopped him. "Hey, before we go… What's your sexual preference?" That sounded way worse than it did in his head, and when he saw the other man's raised eyebrows, he knew Marco thought so too. "I didn't mean it like that…" He was really bad at this, so much had he proven in his conversation with Ace. "Look, I was just wondering, in case there are girls, which there probably are, if you would be interested."

Marco looked at him for a while with his bored expression. "They're all yours," he then said and got out of the car.

Sanji followed him hastily. "I haven't offended you, have I?" He was a bit worried his new friend had taken his words the wrong way.

The arson inspector stopped, one hand in his pocket, standing in a relaxed pose. "Just buy me an extra beer," he smirked.

Inside Sanji ordered two beers. Again he was very glad Zoro wasn't there, he didn't dare to drink a single drop of alcohol near the swordsman. A shiver went down his spine as he recalled what had happened at Zoro's house. Marco raised an eyebrow, but didn't say anything and started on his beer.

The blonde chef couldn't help but check the door every few seconds, expecting the green haired man to barge in any minute. After all, the swordsman always seemed to be where he was, those fucking coincidences. When he turned around to take another sip, he saw that Marco had already ordered a second beer. The arson inspector looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "Are you waiting for someone?"

"What? Hell no!" Flushed he grabbed his beer bottle. Damn marimo bastard even got on his nerves when he wasn't around.

Marco just shrugged and continued his drink. Sanji had only finished half his bottle when the other man ordered another and by the time he finished his beer, Marco had switched to something stronger. The blonde cook wanted to point out he only offered a few beers, but then he noticed some girls waving at him.

"Do you mind?" he asked his friend, who shrugged again, already pretty tipsy.

Sanji walked, or better danced, to the girls and offered them a drink. Every once in a while he would cast a worried glance to his new friend, who was still alone at the bar drinking. But at least he wasn't thinking about a certain green haired swordsman. He could practically hear Zoro snort and call him an idiot for fussing over these girls. But really, who was the idiot? The girls were sweet and cute, they all deserved his attention. Stupid Muscle-head.

Fuck, he was thinking about him again. Quickly he focussed his attention on a brunette who was telling about her supposedly really cute dog. Until his eye caught the bartender, who was serving Marco again. Shit, the man was really drinking away. Something had to really bother him. Sanji was inclined to introduce the girls to him, but the arson inspector had made clear he wasn't interested. They were all his, he'd said, which could mean that he either was in a relationship or he just wasn't interested in girls. The chef thought the latter.

Something told him Marco's drinking had something to do with Ace. Though the arson inspector had insisted they had never met, the man had become rather quiet after he'd heard Ace was arrested. And now he was drinking like a fish.

The chef was startled out of his thoughts when a girl whispered something in his ear and he almost swooned. He shouldn't worry so much. Marco could deal with his own problems. Or so he thought. Before he could respond to the girl, he saw from the corner of his eye that the head of the arson inspector fall on the bar. He sighed. "I should go help my friend." The girls made a disappointed sound. "I'm sorry," he apologized. "He seems to be very drunk, so I better bring him home. But I promise we will meet again soon."

"Ah Sanji, you're such a good friend," the brunette with the dog sighed.

He smiled at her and was about to pay her some compliment, when Marco almost fell off his bar stool. Cussing to himself, he hurried himself to his friend and helped him on his feet. "Come on, time to go." He paid the bartender before he directed himself to Marco again. "Give me your car keys."

The other man glazed at him.

Sanji rolled his eyes. He would have to find the keys himself. Marco didn't have any breast pockets, so they should be in one of the pockets of his pants. Sighing, Sanji searched him, until he heard something chink. He put his hand in Marco's left pocket, when he heard giggling behind him. It must really look like he was feeling the man up. But no, that couldn't be the cause of the girls' merit, they would not have such filthy thoughts. Fishing the keys from Marco's pocket, he slung the man's arm around his shoulders, waved at the girls one last time and made his way to Marco's car.

Somehow, he actually was kind of glad the arson inspector got drunk, because now he had the chance to drive his awesome car. Sanji hoisted Marco in the passengers seat and took place behind the wheel. He didn't even bother asking the man where he lived. He found a navigation system in the glove compartment and simply pressed on 'My home'. Fortunately, Marco didn't live far away from his own house, as he had to walk home.

* * *

The next day he received two phone calls. One was from Marco, apologizing for his behaviour last night and explaining he normally didn't drink that much, but right now he was under a lot of stress. Sanji brushed aside his apologies, saying everybody got drunk sometimes. Marco then hung up with a thank-you for bringing him and his car safely home.

The second call came from a number he didn't know. After staring at his ringing phone for a few seconds he decided to answer. "Sanji Prince."

* * *

Zoro had been nervous all day. Finally he had thought of something Sanji could do for him, something that would work for his benefit as well, and now he was trying to find the courage to call the blonde. He didn't really know why he was so anxious. The worst Sanji could do over the phone was laugh at him or yell at him and he was used to that. Taking a deep breath, he dialled the number.

"Sanji Prince."

When he heard the suave voice, for a second he was taken aback. It wasn't until the chef asked: "Hello?", that he cleared his throat and said: "Yeah, Curly-brow?"

"Marimo?" the voice at the other end asked.

Zoro scratched the back of his head. "You're probably wondering why I'm calling–"

"You've thought of a thing I can do." It almost sounded like a sigh. "Lemme hear it."

"Well, the thing is, I need a date–"

"I told you, Marimo, I don't swing that way."

"It's not like that!" the swordsman burst out. "If you just would let me finish a damn sentence." When it stayed silent at the other end of the line, he continued: "This Saturday is my cousin's wedding. Normally I wouldn't go to these family events, but I kinda like Vivi, and her fiancé is nice as well. And I've already said I would bring my boyfriend."

"But you don't have one. You didn't strike me as the type that cared whether he was single."

"I don't. It's just… Another cousin of mine is coming as well. She's really annoying, always sneaking up on me like a damn ghost or something. For some reason she seems to think I'm cute and tries to put me in a bear suit."

It stayed silent for a moment. Then Sanji said: "I'm sorry, I thought you said she wants to put you in a bear suit."

Zoro sighed. "I did. But now I thought, if I brought my boyfriend, we could act all clingy and she wouldn't dare to come close."

"And you want me to act as your boyfriend?"

"That's right."

"Why me?"

"Well, I wanted to ask Ace, but that's not really an option anymore, is it? And perhaps that would be kinda awkward, with his past with Vivi."

"He dated your cousin?!"

"Briefly. They separated as friends though."

"And why don't you take Luffy?"

Zoro snorted. "Why the hell would I want a rubber ball like him to play my boyfriend? Besides, he's already going as Nami's date. She's the maid of honour. She and Vivi were BFF's in high school, or whatever chicks call it."

"So, let me get this straight. I have to play your boyfriend during this wedding, and if I do that, I'm out of your debt?"

Zoro shrugged, not realising Sanji could not see him. He never thought Sanji was in his debt in the first place, but the blonde had insisted. "If you do a convincing job, sure."

"Don't underestimate me, Muscle-head. I'm a great actor."

"So…" The swordsman hesitated. "Will you do it?"

He heard a click and a hiss, Sanji had lit a cigarette. "Okay."

Zoro frowned. "Really?" He hadn't expect the cook to agree so easily.

"Sure, why the hell not? I mean, you could have asked for much worse. But now you've already asked for this!" he quickly added.

The green haired man snickered. "You were really anxious about this, weren't you, Cook?"

"Like hell." Sanji snorted.

"You do realise what this means, right?" Zoro continued carefully. "You're going to be my boyfriend, which means I'm gonna touch you."

"I get it. And don't make it sound disgusting."

"Oh, and Cook? That also means no flirting with the bridesmaids."

"I'll try."

"Good. I'll pick you up Saturday at noon. Don't be late, Curly-brow." He hung up before Sanji could make fun of his sense of direction. Which was nothing wrong with. Still, he couldn't help but smirk. Saturday he had the cook all to himself and could do with him whatever he wanted. Now, let's see how far he could push the blonde.

~ To be continued

* * *

A bit of trivia: Marco's last name, Fenwick, is a corruption of the last name Phoenix. I considered the latter, but I found it a bit too obvious XD

Ah, and my apologies to all ZoLu fans out there, I just don't see it XD

Until next time...


	5. Chapter 5

Here's chapter 5 ^^

But first I like to thank all of you who read and review. Your kind words really make my day ^^ And of course thanks to my pre-readers :)

Please enjoy ^^

* * *

Hot as Fire

Chapter 5

Slowly Sanji inhaled a deep breath of nicotine. This was already his third cigarette. All because of that green haired moron, who was twenty minutes late. Who had dared to tell _him_ to be on time. Stupid directionally challenged Marimo.

Today, it was Saturday, the day of the wedding. The week had gone by too fast for Sanji's taste. He hadn't looked forward to today at all. Frankly, he was kind of nervous. Sure, he had had girlfriends before, so he knew how to behave as a boyfriend, but was he supposed to act the same if he were dating – or actually pretending to date – a man? He had been thinking about it all week, and he still had no idea. He just had to hope Zoro would take the lead.

It was a good thing it wasn't raining. Of course he could go inside, but since Zoro was bad at directions, he couldn't be any good with numbers. So the cook just stood and waited, getting more irritated by the minute.

Finally, half an hour late the dark green rust-bucket Zoro called a car pulled up in front of him. Sanji crushed the butt of his cigarette with the sole of his shoe and opened the car door. "Got lost, Marimo?"

"Not my fault if they keep changing the street plans," the swordsman muttered.

"Nobody changed anything." The blonde climbed into the car and examined Zoro from head to foot. He wore a nice black suit, with a white shirt and a grey waistcoat underneath. Around his neck he had a black tie, which hung a bit loose. He also wore his characteristic three earrings, but for some reason it made him look more handsome. "You actually look pretty good," the cook remarked a little surprised.

"What, you thought I would turn up in my sweats, or something?" Zoro said scornful.

"It wouldn't have surprised me."

The swordsman snorted, but from the corner of his eye he observed the blonde. He didn't look bad himself. He also wore a black suit, a bit fancier than his usual ones, with six golden buttons. Underneath he had a dark yellow shirt and a black tie. For some reason he had decided to wear his hair over his other eye, which revealed that his left eyebrow curled the same way as on the other side, making his face asymmetrical if his hair hadn't covered it. Zoro decided he liked this style, Sanji's blonde hair was a bit more ruffled than usual, perhaps because of the wind. He also had a good maintained goatee and a small moustache, which looked good on him. He looked more mature, and very sexy.

"It's quite an early wedding," Sanji noted, as they pulled up on the motorway.

"It is a two hour drive."

The blonde raised a curly eyebrow and then chuckled. "Two hour for you or for a normal human being?"

Zoro scowled at him, but didn't say anything. He had really looked forward to today. From excitement he had barely slept last night. He still didn't know how he was going to act or how far he could go, but he would cross that bridge when he came to it. At least he could spent the day with the blond chef, touching him, listening to his nice baritone… How great would it be if that sexy voice said his actual name. Or better yet, moan it, when he thrust deep inside him…

"Marimo?" said voice asked. "You missed the exit. Again."

The green haired man shook his head, hoping that the images of a naked Sanji would disappear.

Fortunately, his navigation system calculated a new route, which – if followed – still had them on time for the wedding.

Sanji played with a cigarette, putting it in his mouth before taking it out again. Zoro raised an eyebrow. "You can smoke if you like. Ya nervous?" he added with a smirk.

"Why the hell would I be nervous?" The chef patted his pants in search for his lighter.

The swordsman shrugged.

"But," the blonde bit his lip, "how are we going to do this?"

Zoro shrugged again. "We'll attend the wedding. You don't have to do much." A smirk crept up his face. "Just sit next to me and look pretty."

Sanji's cheeks flushed in anger. "Don't call me pretty, asshole!" Then he mumbled: "I already regret this."

The rest of the drive they sat mostly in silence. Sanji had cracked open the window a bit to let the smoke escape. Zoro couldn't help but peek over his shoulder from time to time. Usually he didn't really like smokers, but Sanji made it look like how it was supposed to be, sexy. The green haired man was fascinated by the blonde's lips, how they wrapped themselves around the filter. The chef could do so much good if those lips were around something else…

A yank at the steering wheel pulled him back to reality. "Are you trying to kill us?" Sanji snapped at him. "Quit spacing out, will ya?"

"Sorry." Zoro rubbed his eyes. "Didn't sleep well last night."

"Why, were you nervous?" the blonde teased. "Afraid I looked too dashing? Alas, I am even more handsome than you could ever imagine."

"Could your ego get any bigger?" Zoro mumbled. Though it annoyed the hell out of him that the cook was spot on.

* * *

The wedding was held in a beautiful little church, but before Sanji let Zoro go in, he fixed the swordsman's tie for him. Fortunately they were still in time. "Are you here for the bride or the groom?" The usher looked up from his clipboard. "Oh, never mind. Zoro, right? In the church on the left side are your seats."

Zoro nodded and walked in, closely followed by Sanji. The blonde was a little surprised at the reaction of the usher, but that feeling disappeared when he saw the family of the bride. On the left side of the church all he could see were heads full of brightly coloured hair. He had thought Zoro would be the only one with oddly coloured hair, but now he himself started to feel like the odd man out. Zoro took a seat and pulled the cook beside him, while Sanji stared his eyes out. A lot of Zoro's relatives had pink hair, but some also had purple or blue. He didn't see much green though. The family of the groom looked normal.

The groom was already standing by the altar. He was a tall, blonde man with glasses. He had a scar over his left eye, but other than that he appeared quite friendly. Next to him stood the priest, a broad man with light blond hair. He had three large curls on each side of his head.

"The groom over there is Kohza and the guy beside him is called Igaram. He's a close friend of the family," Zoro explained softly. "The two men behind them are Chaka and Pell, they're Vivi's best friends."

At that moment the organ started to play. Several bridesmaids entered, amongst whom was Nami. She wore a long red dress and was accompanied by a man with half-long dark pink hair. Sanji sighed at seeing her. "She sure looks lovely."

"Stay focussed, Cook, you're here with me," Zoro muttered.

The blonde cast him a glance. "I know that. That doesn't mean I'm happy about it."

Finally, the bride came in. Her light blue hair was covered with a veil. She was accompanied by a stern looking man with black curly hair and a goatee. Vivi looked really happy as she strode to the altar.

The priest cleared his throat. "Mah~mah~mah~ Dearly beloved…"

* * *

After the ceremony, the reception was held at a hotel nearby. The rented hall was large enough to accommodate Vivi's big – and colourful – family. There were long tables filled with food and room to dance. A band cared for the music.

A bit uncomfortable Sanji stood next to Zoro, who much to his annoyance looked quite relaxed. The blonde had no idea what to do next. But fate decided that for him, as Nami saw them and walked up to them. " Hey Zoro. Sanji, what are you doing here?" she asked.

"Hello, Nami-swan." The blonde bowed as she reluctantly let him kiss her hand.

"He's my date," Zoro said with a smirk.

A grin appeared on her face. "I knew it."

"It's not like that, my swan." The chef gave the swordsman a kick in the shin. "I just owed Moss-head something, so he asked me to come with to keep his cousin at a distance."

"Perona," Zoro clarified. "Have you seen her?"

"That Lolita-girl? Ah, there she is right now. Perona!"

A pink haired girl strolled over to them, while Zoro uttered curses in Nami's direction. A group of Zoro's nieces gathered around them.

"Everyone, have you all met Zoro's boyfriend?" the orange haired girl asked with a mischievous smile. "This is Sanji."

The blonde stood frozen. Sure, he was here to pretend to date Zoro, but he couldn't believe his beautiful Nami announced it so bluntly.

"Sanji, why don't you give your _boyfriend_ a kiss?"

The chef exchanged a look with the swordsman, who just shrugged. Sanji sighed. What had he gotten himself into? Zoro's cousins encouraged them. He took a deep breath, not one to disappoint ladies, and gave the green haired man a quick peck on the lips.

"That's not a kiss," Nami said slyly, "give him a proper one."

Zoro, who was just about to tell her to knock it off, was taken by surprise when the blonde suddenly threw himself at the swordsman and smashed their lips together. He stumbled a few paces backwards before he collected himself and wrapped his arms around Sanji.

"Oh my," Nami mumbled.

Perona said something about Zoro being uncute, but the man hardly listened. After all, how often did it happen that he had Sanji's soft lips pressed against his?

"Oi Nami, look at all the meat they have here!" Luffy came skipping towards them holding a plate full of meat, or rather a pile of meat with a plate hidden underneath it. When he saw Sanji and Zoro he tilted his head in confusion. "Why are they kissing?"

Nami chuckled. "Because they're dating." Her boyfriend shrugged, accepting it as a fact and Sanji had to suppress the urge to yell they weren't. Instead, he just kept kissing Zoro.

One by one the girls surrounding them left, until it was just the two of them. Sanji let go and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

"What the hell?" Zoro exclaimed when he found his voice back.

The blonde shrugged and scratched the back of his head embarrassed. "She asked for a proper kiss. I can't defy a lady. And that's a proper kiss in my vocabulary."

A smirk appeared on Zoro's face. "So if she asked you to let me fuck you in the middle of this room, you would let me?"

Sanji scowled at him. "Don't push it, Marimo."

"You really are an idiot, Love-cook," the green haired man said shaking his head.

"What was that, Muscle-brain?" Forgetting the part he was supposed to play, Sanji raised his leg and gave the other man a kick in his ribs.

Zoro grunted and wanted to counter, when an innocent – and rather annoying – voice asked: "Trouble in paradise?"

The swordsman turned around brusquely, looking straight in Perona's face. "You wish," he snorted as he pulled Sanji against him. The chef smiled politely, but in the meantime he pressed the heel of his dress shoe inconspicuous into Zoro's foot. The green haired man managed to keep a straight face, but planned on killing the blonde later.

Perona snorted. "You would look so much cuter in the bear suit. Without that uncute boyfriend."

Sanji, falling out of character again, yanked himself loose. "I'm sorry, it's not my habit to contradict a lady, certainly not such a beautiful one such as yourself, but how on _earth_ can you think he's cute and I'm not?!"

She looked at him unimpressed, but Zoro pulled the blonde towards him. "You're cute when you're angry."

The chef glared daggers at him. Fortunately Perona got distracted when she saw a black cat walking outside and skipped away. Sanji shoved his elbow in the swordsman's still rather painful ribs and he stalked off, leaving behind a snickering Zoro. "Stupid Moss-head," the blonde mumbled. He needed a drink. A waiter holding a tray filled with glasses of champagne just walked by and the blonde snatched a glass. But before the beverage touched his lips, he stopped. He shouldn't drink, remembering the last time what had happened with the combination Zoro and booze. On the other hand, he had just kissed the swordsman. How could he survive this day without alcohol? Keeping that in mind, he drained the glass in one. One glass couldn't hurt, right?

Feeling strengthened by the alcohol, he searched for his supposed boyfriend. He saw the swordsman standing with Vivi's friends, Chaka and Pell. He strolled over to them, immediately getting a glass of champagne pressed into his hand. Not wanting to be impolite or to waste the drink, he took a small sip and listened to the conversation after Zoro had introduced him. Apparently the three men were childhood friends and had sparred often when they were younger.

Chaka was a strong looking man with a dark skin and half-long black hair. His friend Pell was a lot paler and wore black make-up underneath his eyes. He was leaning on Chaka's shoulder the whole time they were talking.

After a while the friends of the bride excused themselves. Sanji followed the two men with his eyes before he asked Zoro: "Are those two…" He made a vague gesture with his hand, which the swordsman didn't seem to get, so the blonde sighed and continued: "Are they an item?"

Zoro shrugged. "It wouldn't surprise me. They're very close. But if they are, they haven't announced it yet."

The next person they got to talking to was the father of the bride, Cobra. Though he appeared to be a stern man, he actually was pretty cheery. He pressed Sanji another glass of champagne in his hands and began telling stories about Zoro when he was young and played with Vivi and her friends. Sanji was especially interested in the story where the green haired man – then still a boy – was sparring with Pell, when he tripped over Vivi's pet duck, Carue. Vivi had been really worried, but the bird had proven himself capable to defend himself: he had bitten Zoro.

"I still have the scar," the swordsman grouched.

The chef burst into laughter. "You were attacked by a duck?" he hiccupped. He had hardly noticed it, but his third glass was almost empty.

For some reason, every time he and Zoro talked to someone, his glass seemed to be full. He tried to make the champagne last, but even taking small sips, he had already had four glasses – maybe five, he couldn't remember. He knew he should just refuse, but he didn't want to waste it – it was good champagne – or seem impolite. The most annoying part though, was that Zoro must have had twice as many glasses, and didn't show any sign of even tipsiness. Sanji himself on the other hand was starting to feel the effects of the alcohol. But he wouldn't show that to the swordsman – as he knew what had happened last time he got drunk. So he tried to behave as normal as possible.

"So everyone here is cool with you being gay?" That was a normal question, wasn't it?

Zoro shrugged. "Most of 'em. Some just don't care."

"Still, I expected there to be at least one homophobic uncle or something."

"Well, there is. Not that I care, though."

One visible curly eyebrow was lifted. "Who?"

Zoro nodded his head towards a man with lavender hair – therefore family of Zoro – who stood a few feet away. When he turned around, Sanji saw he wore a leather mask, which covered most of his face.

"The guy with the mask? _He_'s the judgmental one?"

"Yup, that's Spandam. Not sure why he's here though. Nobody likes him. Vivi probably just invited him to be polite."

Sanji mused for a moment, but then grabbed Zoro's hand. The green haired man was surprised, but let himself be dragged along. His confusion grew as the chef pushed him against the wall and smashed their lips together. Still, how often had he a – slightly drunk; yeah, he'd noticed – blonde rubbing up against him? He decided it was probably one of the cook's whims and let his hands explore Sanji's body.

The blonde pulled back a little, slightly panting. "Is he watching?" he murmured against Zoro's lips.

Suddenly the swordsman understood what the cook was doing – though why he was doing it was a mystery. His eyes flicked to Spandam, who stared at them disgusted.

"Oh, he's looking alright," the swordsman smirked.

Sanji switched their positions, so that he was the one with his back against the wall and could keep his eye on Spandam. Zoro didn't care, he finally got what he wanted – well, a part of it – so he was going to enjoy it to the fullest. He let his lips wander over the cook's well shaped jaw, down to his neck. The blonde stroked with his hand through the swordsman's green strands. He rolled his eyes towards Zoro's uncle and arched his back like he was really enjoying what his "boyfriend" was doing. It wasn't even as bad as he expected.

Spandam made a face and walked away, making Sanji smirk. "Okay, he's gone now."

When Zoro didn't stop, he gave the green haired man a smack on the head. "Oi, shithead! You can stop now."

Much to the swordsman's dislike, he stopped nibbling on the blonde's neck and looked at the grinning man.

"That was funnier than I expected. You should have seen his face."

"What the hell did you do that for? You're not gay."

"No, but I am a romantic." Sanji placed an unlit cigarette between his lips. "I believe two people in love should be together, and no one has the right to stand between them. Especially not narrow-minded shitheads like your uncle. No offence."

"But, we're not in love. Are we?" Zoro asked unintelligently.

The blonde looked at him with a frown. "Of course not. But he _thinks_ we are–" He waited a second and then asked slowly: "Zoro, are you… hard?"

The swordsman clenched his teeth. He had hoped the chef wouldn't notice. After years of intense training and meditation, his body still betrayed him. "It… It's just been a while, okay?" he sighed eventually embarrassed. "Just wait a little."

Sanji nodded, making a mental note to make fun of the green haired man later. Now, it felt too awkward.

When Zoro felt ready again, he and the chef strolled outside, so that the blonde could smoke. The swordsman didn't want to be left alone, he knew for sure he would be wearing a bear suit in no time. Damn witch.

Outside a photographer was taking pictures of the newlyweds. When Vivi spotted Zoro, she excused herself and ran over to him, holding up the skirt of her wedding dress. She threw her arms around him. "I'm so happy you came! And you even brought your boyfriend." She let go of her cousin and looked at Sanji smiling.

Up close, the chef could see how pretty the bride was. She had soft-looking light blue hair, as he had already noticed, a pale skin and dark eyes. The white wedding dress she was wearing enclosed her slim body. "It is a pleasure to meet you," he said after she had introduced herself and kissed her hand gently, much to the annoyance of her new husband.

She giggled and then said: "So tell me everything! How did you guys meet?"

Sanji and Zoro exchanged a look. They hadn't prepared for this question. The swordsman scratched the back of his head embarrassed. "Well–" he began, but the blonde interrupted him.

"It was a cold and rainy evening when I sat alone at the bus stop…"

Zoro's jaw dropped as the blonde retold the events of the night they met – leaving out a few details of course. It was brilliant, they didn't even need to lie, just bend the truth a little.

"And one thing led to another," Sanji concluded his story.

Vivi listened with eyes aglow. "That's so romantic," she sighed. "How long have you two been dating now?"

"A little over a week," the cook answered.

"Really? Why didn't you say something when I called you a few days ago? I had to hear from Perona you would bring a date," the bride said accusingly to Zoro.

The swordsman was at a loss, but Sanji came to his rescue again. "I'm afraid that's my fault, my dear. You see, I don't know that long I'm attracted to men, so I asked Zoro to keep it a secret for a while. But as you can see, I'm over it now."

"Oh, I'm sorry." Her cheeks were flushed.

Sanji smiled reassuring, when the photographer called Vivi over. She turned to the two men and smiled. "Well, I'm glad you're both here. And Sanji? Please take good care of him." With that, she walked away.

"Well, now I feel guilty," the chef mumbled, taking a last puff of his cigarette before crushing it out.

"Don't. Contrary of what she might think, I'm fine on my own," Zoro replied gruff. Though he wouldn't be opposed to have this blonde in his bed every once in a while…

"So, you wouldn't want a boyfriend?" Sanji asked as they strolled back into the hotel.

The green haired man shrugged. "It's such a hassle. And it probably involves a lot of bickering–"

"We do that already."

He stood still, dumbfounded, and stared at the blond man. "You know you're not really my boyfriend, right?"

Sanji's cheeks were flushed. Stupid alcohol. "I didn't mean it like that. I just– Anyway, you don't really strike me as the boyfriend type," he skipped hastily over the subject. "They probably only buy that we're dating because of my acting talent."

Zoro snorted. "Could you have a bigger ego?"

"It's called self-knowledge," the blonde answered with a smirk.

Meanwhile they had entered the hall again. "If you're so amazing, than why don't you dance with me?" The swordsman held out his hand.

Sanji stared down at the hand. "I didn't know Neanderthals knew how to dance," he sneered.

"Better than you, I bet."

That did it. Sanji grabbed Zoro's hand and the challenge was accepted. On the dance floor they struggled for a while trying to decide who would take the female position. The blonde finally gave in; it wasn't like that muscle-head could handle a delicate position like that, anyway. They danced for a while when the chef had to admit: "You're better at this than I expected."

The green haired man let his hand slide a little further down and repressed the urge to place his hand on Sanji's perfect ass. He leaned in a little closer and said with a deep voice in the blonde's ear: "I'm full of surprises." He felt the man stiffen a bit and smirked to himself.

Sanji placed his head on Zoro's shoulder. It might be the alcohol working, but at that moment he didn't care anymore. He had already made out with the swordsman – twice – in front of all these beautiful women, including Nami. But he had promised Zoro he would do a convincing job, so that's what he would do. After all, what was a man without his word?

"You're really getting the hang of this boyfriend stuff, hm?"

He could almost feel the vibrations of the swordsman's low voice. "I'm just keeping my promise."

The band started a new song. Zoro turned the chef around, so that his back was against the swordsman's chest. The blonde leaned back a little and the green haired man nuzzled his nose into the golden strands. He would never say it out loud, but Sanji was really doing a good job. It actually felt like he was dancing with his boyfriend. Shit.

"So that Perona girl really doesn't like me, does she?" the blonde broke the silence, still leaning against Zoro.

"That's just because you prevent her from putting me in a bear costume," the other man grunted.

"It is quite an obsession of hers, isn't it?" Sanji mused. "Did she ever pull it off?"

"Once. But only because I was unconscious."

"Really?" The cook started to laugh. "I would like to see that."

"I destroyed all the evidence."

Sanji looked over his shoulder to the swordsman. "Than why are you telling me? You know I'm going to make fun of you."

"Than tell me something embarrassing about you."

"Why should I?"

The green haired man smirked. "Because if you don't, I'm telling everyone you're a virgin."

"I'm not! Okay, fine," the blonde gave in. "But this stays between us, right?"

"If you keep the bear suit thing to yourself."

"Okay…" Sanji lowered his eyes. "I… never had a blow-job before."

"You mean before I–"

"Shut up, we don't talk about that anymore," the blonde spat. "And it's not like I can ask a delicate lady to do something as filthy as that."

Zoro chuckled in his ear. "Filthy? But you rather enjoyed it…"

"S-shut up." He felt his cheeks heating up. Stupid Moss-head.

Still, they kept dancing. Every once in a while they heard a girl giggle or whisper something to a friend. They stayed on the dance floor, until Sanji said: "I'm getting hungry. Let's get something to eat."

Zoro hummed in agreement and followed the cook to the table with hors d'oeuvres. He grabbed some things that looked familiar and loaded them on a plate, while Sanji inspected the different dishes and carefully picked his food.

The green haired man crammed down his food and then yawned. He was still pretty tired. The cook sat down next to him. He picked up a cracker with something reddish on it, took a small bite and then made a surprised sound. "This is pretty good. Here, try it."

Zoro stared at the hors d'oeuvre and raised an eyebrow. To him it looked like red goo.

Sanji rolled his eyes. "It's hummus, barbarian. It's made of mashed chickpeas, and in this case it's mixed with beets. That gives it its colour." Even though he had encouraged Zoro to take a bite, he hadn't expected the man's head to shoot forward and eat the cracker right out of his hand. Much less that he would lick the last of the hummus off Sanji's fingers.

"'s Good," the swordsman commented, and smirked when he saw the blonde's flushed face.

"D-don't do that!"

He received a smack to the back of his head, but still chuckled.

The blonde mumbled something about stupid Marimo's and then concentrated on his food again.

Zoro yawned, laid his head on the cook's shoulder and closed his eyes. It didn't take long for him to fall asleep.

Sanji let him be. Hell, they had been closer than this today. He just kept tasting the appetizers, and made mental notes of which ingredient they were lacking or of what too much was added. It took him a while to notice the beautiful woman who was standing in front of him, tapping her foot impatiently on the floor. She had light pink hair and between her lips dangled an unlit cigarette. He slapped himself mentally for making a lady wait. "May I help you?" he asked politely, resisting the urge to kiss her hand.

She watched him for a second and then kicked Zoro in the shin.

The man started awake, exclaiming: "Dammit, Sanji!", before rubbing his eyes and looking at the woman in front of him. "Oh, it's you."

Which earned him another kick. "Is that how you greet your favourite aunt?"

He groaned. "Hello, aunt Hina."

"That's better. Here's your room key."

Zoro took the key she was holding with a confused look on his face. "What room?"

"Has no one told you?" She sighed as if she always had to do things herself. "Because we are with such a large group, the hotel has offered us rooms with discount for those who come from far away. You two have a long drive to make, so you get a room."

Sanji jumped to his feet. "B-but I can't stay. I-I have stuff to do tomorrow!" He hadn't really, but sleeping in one room with Zoro? That was where he drew the line.

"Then you'll just have to leave early in the morning. You both have been drinking, so Hina is not letting you drive home." She gave them a warning look. "And if Hina catches you sneaking out before tomorrow, you will face the consequences." With that she walked away.

The blonde looked defeated to the floor. "We can't stay…"

"Fine, then you go tell Hina we're leaving. But let me warn ya, no one defies her. She's a cop and takes her job very seriously. And she's not afraid to arrest family," Zoro added.

"I'm not defying her, she's a lady." The cook sunk down in his seat and covered his eyes with his hands, groaning. "This is the worst!"

"You could always ask for a separate room," the swordsman suggested with reluctance.

"I can't do that either," Sanji snapped. "If I leave you alone, Perona will be all over you in no time."

"I'm touched that you're so worried about me," the green haired man said teasing.

"I'm not worried about you, shithead! I promised to pretend to be your boyfriend to keep _her away from you_. And I'm a man of my word," he concluded.

Zoro kept silent during the other man's rant. He couldn't hide his smirk. Sure, he had something else in mind when he wished for the blonde in his bed, but it was a start. This promised to be a fun night.

* * *

Zoro was in his Strong World-outfit and Sanji was post time skip in this chapter.

See you next time (and please review ^^)


	6. Chapter 6

Hello again ^^

Many thanks to every reader and reviewer and of course my pre-readers. They also translated a sentence into Japanese, so thanks for that as well.

Enjoy ^^

* * *

Hot as Fire

Chapter 6

Reluctantly Sanji pressed the elevator button. He had been smoking outside for almost an hour, trying not to freak out. He was supposed to be Zoro's boyfriend, and he couldn't leave the man alone, in case Perona showed up. He and his big mouth. Why had he promised to play the marimo's boyfriend _during the wedding_ – of which this was an extension – instead of just one day?

With a soft 'ping' the elevator doors slid open. The elevator was empty – thank God – and the two of them strolled in.

"Hold the elevator!"

Just as Sanji pressed the button for the sixth floor, a very heavy set woman and her equally stout husband came running towards them. Sanji, who had never let down a lady, pressed the button to hold the doors open, and immediately regretted it when the two people squeezed themselves into the tiny elevator. The blonde got pressed against Zoro, who instinctively wrapped a protective arm around him.

The woman turned around. "Thank you for that. My, aren't you the cutest couple? Aren't they adorable, Frank?" Saying that, she pinched Sanji's cheek.

"Yes dear," Frank answered obediently.

The blonde decided just to smile politely and kick Zoro in the shin for snickering. Fortunately, the woman and her husband got out on the third floor. After they had left, Sanji took a relieved breath and rubbed his still painful cheek.

The swordsman chuckled. "I can't believe you let her do that."

"Shut up. She's a lady."

Knowing having a discussion about this would lead to nowhere, Zoro just shook his head. When they reached their floor, he checked the key which room number they had. 612, it read.

"Please have separate beds, please have separate beds…" Such was Sanji's mantra as Zoro stuck the key in the lock. When the swordsman opened the door, the blonde groaned. Of course, there was just one double bed.

The rest of the room was fairly simple decorated. There were – on each side of the bed – two nightstands, a television and a wardrobe, which they of course wouldn't use, as they didn't bring any extra clothes. They also had a small bathroom attached to the room.

Zoro jumped on the bed and stretched himself. "This isn't so bad, is it?"

Sanji hung his jacket over a chair. "Sleeping with you in one room? Of course it's bad!" he snorted.

"Bed's pretty good." The swordsman smirked. "Good spring action."

The blonde carefully sat down, before he was pulled in a lying position by Zoro.

"See?"

"Not so rough, Marimo!"

Suddenly they heard loud knocking on the door. "Zoro!" They both froze when recognizing the voice of Perona.

Within a second the swordsman sat up and turned towards Sanji, sitting on his knees. "Quick, pretend we're fucking. That will scare her off."

"Wha–" The true meaning of his words slowly got through to the chef, when the other man started to shake the bars at the head of the bed. "No way! Stop that." Zoro gave him a pinch and he yelped.

"So you like it rough?" the green haired man smirked, earning him a kick in the stomach.

"Do you?" the blonde snapped.

Footsteps left their door hastily. Zoro grinned, but kept rattling at the bars.

"She's gone now," Sanji said irritated.

"I know, but I don't want our neighbours think I lack stamina."

"You?!"

The swordsman gave the bars one last shake and came off the bed. "Why, did you want to top?" It was just too much fun to embarrass the cook, even though he knew he would regret it if he pushed it too far. But now the blonde just flushed.

Zoro threw his jacket on the bed. "I'm gonna take a shower."

"Now just wait a second! I could have just told her you were in the shower! Then we wouldn't had to have put on this… this show."

The green haired man shrugged. "What's the big deal? She thinks you're my boyfriend, right? Therefore we have sex." He took a step in the blonde's direction. "Or had you rather stayed a virgin until we were married?" he teased.

He had gone too far. He knew that the instant he saw the one visible eye of the chef, dark with rage. The swordsman fled into the bathroom, not because he was scared of course, but to keep the room intact.

When he was done showering – he had taken his time so the cook could cool off – Sanji was lying on the bed in his boxers, wearing his reading glasses and leafing through a TV guide.

He looked up when Zoro came out of the bathroom. The swordsman wore a towel around his waist and was drying his hair with another one.

At the foot of the bed the green haired man stopped. "What's with you and the glasses?"

Sanji rolled his eyes. "They're reading glasses, what do you think? Besides," he continued with a smirk, "I look hot in 'em."

Zoro snorted, but the blonde took his glasses off and licked seductively at one of the arms. The swordsman's mouth went dry and he had to restrain himself not to jump the chef right there. Instead he just muttered: "Che," and proceeded drying his hair.

With a soft flop the towel around his waist dropped on the floor. He ignored it for the time being –though he was glad he had his body under control this time, the blonde would probably have a heart attack if he caught the swordsman with an erection twice – but Sanji exclaimed: "O-oi! Put that away!" He blocked the view with his hand and turned his head away.

"Well, you didn't believe my hair colour was real," Zoro grinned. "Now you know."

"Don't you think I got that already after seeing your freakish family?! Now cover yourself up!"

Snickering the green haired man bent down, giving the blonde a nice view of his naked ass – were he looking – and then strolled over to the bathroom to put something on. He came back out wearing only his trousers.

"You're gonna sleep in that? That's a shame, they'll get all wrinkly and you still have to wear them tomorrow," Sanji commented with a frown.

Zoro shrugged. "You've made it perfectly clear that you don't want to see me without them."

"Then you wear you boxers like m–" Seeing the smirk on the swordsman's face, his words got through to him. "You're going commando? That better not be a rented suit!"

The swordsman snickered and dodged the pillow that was thrown to his head. "Nah, it's mine." He walked to the mini bar near the TV. "Ya want something?"

The blonde raised an eyebrow. "Isn't that stuff really expensive?"

"I'm not paying for the room," Zoro shrugged.

"Me neither! I don't even have a job."

"Then Hina and the others have to cough up the money. Now, do you want something or not?"

"Just give me something non-alcoholic."

The green haired man plopped on the bed snickering, holding a beer, a cola and a can of macadamia nuts. "Still don't trust yourself, Cook?"

"It's you who I don't trust!" The effects from the champagne were starting to wear off and he wanted to hit himself in the head for kissing Zoro like he'd done earlier.

"Someone had to deflower you." That earned him another smack with a pillow.

Sanji snorted and sipped from his beverage. The swordsman looked at him. His eyes wandered the slim figure of the man. The first night he had had a nice view already, even from what lay beneath those boxers, and today he had even been allowed to have a feel.

"So what do you do?"

He had been so busy staring at the blonde's body and fantasizing what he could do with it – he had already seen some of his limberness – that he interpreted the question probably not how Sanji had mend it. Well, what and who sound a lot alike, don't they?

But before making an ass of himself, he was smart enough to ask: "W-what?"

"What do you do? For a living, I mean," the blonde repeated.

That question made more sense, though the swordsman preferred the other one. "I'm a private detective."

"No way!"

"What's that supposed to mean?!" he grouched back.

"Well, you don't strike me as a thinking kind of guy." Seeing that came out the wrong way, Sanji sighed and added: "I mean, with a body like yours… You know!"

Was he imagining it or was the chef blushing? "I also freelance as a bodyguard, with this though economy and all."

"See? That makes more sense!" Sanji exclaimed, happy he was able to explain himself.

They were silent for a while, both sipping from their beverages and chewing on the macadamia nuts. Then the cook asked: "When did you actually know you were gay?"

The swordsman almost choked on a nut. He had not expected that question, especially not from the blonde. He coughed and wiped the tears from his eyes.

"You okay?" Sanji almost sounded concerned.

"Yeah… Why the hell do you want to know that for?" Zoro took a sip of his beer to calm his throat.

The chef shrugged. "I didn't mean anything by it. I'm just curious. I barely know a thing about you, and yet here I am lying in bed with you." The cook looked at him with his curly eyebrow raised.

"And this is the first thing you think of?"

"Geez, forget I asked already! I didn't know you were shy about it."

"Fine, if you really want to know. I just have never been interested in girls. In secondary school my friends Johnny and Yosaku had tons of girlfriends and they tried to set me up with some chicks. But I always found some excuse not to date them again. Most of the time they just weren't interesting–"

"How could a wonderful lady not be interesting?" Sanji interrupted him, and it wouldn't have surprised Zoro if his eyes turned into hearts.

"Would you shut up and listen to the story? You're the one that wanted to know. Anyway, at that time I thought it was the girls that weren't interesting, it wasn't until later I realised it might just be me who wasn't interested in girls."

"So when did you find out?"

"College. Actually, it was because of Ace." A slight smile appeared on his face. "I was roommates with Luffy back then. Ace and I met at a party, and well, one thing led to another…"

"You slept with Ace?!" the blonde exclaimed.

"Just once. He helped me come out. Ace likes his freedom. Not that I mind, I mean, he helped me a lot, but he isn't really my type."

"Then what is your type?" the blonde asked, wondering if the alcohol had still effect on his brain.

Zoro eyed the cook. It was tempting to answer tall, blonde and sexy, but that would make things rather awkward. "I'm choosier than 'has to have a cock', like you are with girls and breasts," he said scornful.

"You just don't understand the beauty of a woman's bosom."

"You're right about that. So what about you?" he asked with a smirk.

"What about me?"

"When did you came out of the closet?" the swordsman asked slyly.

Sanji flushed. "What? I'm not fucking gay!"

Zoro had to bite his tongue not to make a remark about the blonde's choice of words, but then said: "As my boyfriend you are."

"No, we're sticking to what I've told Vivi: that you're the first guy I've fallen for. And that makes me bi," the blonde snapped. "I mean, that makes my character bi," he added a little flushed.

Zoro snickered. "Okay, now tell me something personal about you."

He shrugged. "There is not much to tell."

"What about your childhood? Zeff raised you, right?"

The chef nodded. "I was young when my folks died, I don't remember much about them. I was put in an orphanage. But I didn't like it there, so when I was nine I ran away. I kept myself alive by stealing food. One day I was reckless and decided to try my luck in a restaurant, the Baratie. Of course, Zeff caught me." A nostalgic smile appeared on his face.

"What did he do?"

The blonde snorted. "What do you think? He kicked the crap out of me. But as I was hungry, he fed me after. I stayed at his home and earned my food by washing the dishes in the Baratie. After a few months I discovered the old fart had officially adopted me. He had tracked down the orphanage I had lived in and signed all the papers. I got rebellious when I found out. I picked up smoking to prove I was a man, and I didn't need a parent to look after me. He kicked me again. Nothing really changed though. He taught me how to cook at home and allowed me to go to Japan and France to learn those cooking styles. When I got back from France, I applied for a job at the Baratie. The old geezer never went easy on me, so I had to prove myself. Of course he couldn't deny my skills," he added with a cocky smile.

"How long have you been abroad?"

"In Japan only two months. But I was in France for a year."

"Then you must speak pretty good French."

The blonde grinned. "_Bien sûr je parle Français_." (1)

Zoro had never thought a language could sound this sexy. But the chef had a gift of making anything sound sexy…

"Now you tell something again."

"I already told something personal," the swordsman argued, shaken from his thoughts.

"Not about your childhood. I spilled my whole sad story. Now it's your turn."

Zoro scratched the back of his head. "Well, I'm an orphan too. I was adopted by a man named Koshiro. He was a close friend of my dad's. Koshiro already had a daughter, Kuina. He taught us both kendo, but I could never beat her. When she was thirteen, she fell down the stairs and died from a broken neck. I stayed with Koshiro for a few years, before I went to Japan to become a master swordsman."

"Then you must speak pretty good Japanese," Sanji teased.

"_Mochiron nihongo wo hanasu_," he got as his answer. (2)

Zoro stretched himself on the bed. "Aside from Kuina's death, my childhood wasn't so bad."

"It's bad enough, moron." Sanji plopped a macadamia nut in the swordsman's mouth. Zoro resisted the urge to lick the man's hand again, as this time he didn't have an excuse to. Instead he settled for looking at him, the blonde staring back. It was like the blue orb was penetrating his very soul. He could still see only one eye, for some reason the curtain of hair still managed to cover his right one. Of course he knew what it hid, Sanji having changed his hair style after they had met, but it was tempting anyway to stroke with his hands through the golden locks and see his face as a whole – asymmetric eyebrows included.

The blond chef coughed to break the silence, which had become a little awkward with Zoro's intense gazing. Surly someone else had sympathised with him before? "In the TV guide I saw there's some samurai film on. You wanna watch?"

When the swordsman shrugged he turned on the television. While they watched the movie, Sanji glanced over to the other man every once in a while. He seemed to be quite relaxed, sipping from his beer. Nothing indicated he was aware of the 'moment' they had just now. The blonde shook his head. He'd probably just imagined it.

"Che," Zoro disturbed his thoughts.

He sat up a little. "What?"

The swordsman pointed at the TV with his beer bottle. "If he'd done that in real life, his head would be off by now."

Smiling Sanji listened to his comments about the sword fighting and the swords. The green haired man really knew a lot about it. Halfway through the film though the blonde started to doze off.

Zoro turned off the TV – it was a bad film anyway, though he did enjoy watching it with the cook — and pulled the blankets over them. After he had turned off the lights, it soon became silent in the room.

* * *

When Sanji woke up, it was still dark outside. Next to him lay Zoro snoring, still fast asleep. Still, the snoring wasn't what had woken him. On the contrary, it was oddly soothing.

But despite being under the blankets he was still shivering. It was very cold in the room. Quietly he got out of the bed and walked to the heater. It felt cold, but even after turning the knob he didn't hear any water flowing. He wrapped his arms around himself, rubbing his arms and cursing the broken heater. He felt the urge to kick it, but decided not to, as he probably would break it even more.

He heard shifting in the bed behind him and Zoro sat up straight. The blonde hadn't realised the snoring had seized.

"What are you doing?" the green haired man yawned.

"Nothing, I'm just a little cold. Go back to sleep."

Instead of listening Zoro flipped back the covers and strolled over to him. "Heater doesn't work?"

Sanji felt the radiator. "Doesn't seem to." He suppressed a shiver.

"Then why don't you put on your shirt?"

"Because it will get wrinkly and I still have to show my face to all those lovely lady's tomorrow," the cook snapped.

The swordsman yawned again and then grabbed Sanji's hand. "Come on, I'll warm you up."

When the cook didn't move, he sighed. "Not like that, you pervert cook. Just trust me, okay?"

Reluctantly the blonde let himself be dragged to the bed again and pulled under the covers. He turned his back to Zoro, still not sure what the man was up to. The swordsman lay down behind him and wrapped his arm around the cook's slim frame, pulling him close.

The blonde had half a mind to struggle, but Zoro was nice and warm, and he was very tired. He didn't even object when the swordsman nuzzled his nose in his blond hair and murmured: "I liked how you looked today, Cook."

* * *

_When he opened his eyes he couldn't move his hands. They were tied up over his head. He knew this dream, it was to show how weak he still was. In only a moment _he_ would be here to tell him that. That he shouldn't let himself be snuck up to, let alone be tied up. _

_Just outside the reach of the light the torches cast he saw a silhouette appear. But something was off. Usually the first thing he would see were the piercing eyes, like a hawk. Also the position of the figure seemed different. It was more relaxed, and there was no sword in sight._

_But he didn't care who had tied him up, he just wanted to be free. "Untie me right now," he grouched._

_The other person exhaled, and a cloud of smoke drifted his way. He knew that smell. And when the figure spoke, there was no doubt about it. "I thought it would make things more… exiting," the suave voice said. _

_He looked around him. The setting was different as well. He wasn't tied up against the wall, but he was lying on a bed, his hands bound to the head. The light around him didn't came from torches, but from lit candles. On top of that, he was stark naked. _

_The blond strolled over and straddled him, causing a delicious friction between their erections. _

_His mind was a haze, but he managed to choke out: "But you're not gay."_

"_I know," the chef answered mysteriously. He bent forward and flicked his tongue over his nipple. _

_His smile grew the lower the blonde went and when the man took him in his mouth, he didn't care if his legs had been tied up…_

* * *

He felt something press against his hard-on, and without opening his eyes he knew it was Sanji's ass. How tempting it was to just ground his hips forward…

The blonde lay curled up in his arms, still asleep. Carefully Zoro pulled his arm away from underneath him and made his way to the bathroom.

There were three things he could do now. He could take a cold shower, but chances were that Sanji would wake up from that and he really didn't have an excuse to take another shower. He could also try to meditate to calm his mind and body. Only that technique didn't seem to have an effect on him anymore ever since the cook walked into his life…

Which left him with option three. He lowered his pants and it wasn't difficult to summon the image of a naked Sanji, laying on his carpet in front of the fireplace…

* * *

When he woke for the third time, it was already morning. The place next to him was empty, unfortunately, but still felt warm. From the bathroom he heard the sound of running water, Sanji was taking a shower.

He still lay in bed when the blonde came back into the room, fully dressed already, aside from his jacket and tie.

Zoro hoped he had cleaned up the bathroom well enough after his 'private time' last night. "Morning," he said.

Sanji mumbled something in response and started fixing his tie.

The swordsman got out of bed and began to dress himself. "Did ya sleep okay?" he tried again.

The blonde looked at him. "Better than I expected with you snoring in my ear."

Zoro raised an eyebrow, but kept silent. Of the friendly atmosphere of last night seemed to be nothing left. "You wanna go get breakfast before Luffy eats it all?" he said when they both were ready.

Sanji nodded, but before Zoro could reach for the door knob, the blonde stopped him and started to fashion him. The green haired man made a big show of pretending he hated it, but he hardly minded having Sanji's hands all over him. When the cook was content with his work, or when the swordsman looked "passable", as Sanji called it, they went downstairs.

In the dining room was a buffet of all kind of breakfast food, from cereal to scrambled eggs. Sanji picked up two plates, while Zoro looked for a place to sit.

While the blonde dished up the plates, he saw Nami standing next to him. "Good morning, Nami-swan," he greeted her.

"Morning, Sanji." She looked around her if no one was listening before leaning in, making Sanji almost swoon. "Is it true what Perona says?"

"I'm not following you, my beautiful flower," he said rather confused.

"Did you and Zoro have sex last night?" Her voice sounded a little too eager.

"What?! No, we did not!" He hastened himself to lower his voice. "You know we're just pretending, right?"

"She said she heard you exclaim."

"He pinched me!"

Nami shrugged. "What kinky stuff you like is your business."

Sanji stood dumbfounded. He followed her hastily as she walked over to the tables. "You can just ask Zoro. Tell her," he demanded when they had reached the swordsman.

"Tell her what?"

The blonde sighed and bent forward to whisper something in his ear. The green haired man had a hard time focussing on the words instead of the warm breath, until he picked up the word sex. He almost choked on the bite he just took. But seeing the warning look the cook gave him, he said to Nami: "We didn't do it."

She shrugged, but got distracted when her boyfriend called over from the buffet. He waved and with his plate loaded, he walked over to them, but half way to the table the food was already gone and he had to go back.

Sanji took a seat next to one of Zoro's cousins, a beautiful young woman with pink hair. Underneath her right eye she had a golden ring pierced and she wore red lipstick. Bonney was her name, if he recalled correctly. Surprisingly she was family of Zoro, even though her table manners reminded him more of Luffy.

"So you're a cook right?" she asked between two bites, with her mouth still full.

But she was a lady, so Sanji didn't mind. "I am. A chef actually. Unfortunately the restaurant where I worked burned down a week ago," he explained.

Her fork stopped halfway to her mouth. "But, what about the food?" she stammered.

"I'm sorry?"

"The food. You kept food at the restaurant, right?"

He nodded slowly. He hadn't really thought about the food. Sure it was a waste, but she seemed pretty upset. "I'm sorry, my sweet, but it's all gone."

"You poor thing!"

Before he could react, she grabbed the back of his head and pushed his face in her ample bosom, trying to comfort him. Unfortunately, her plan backfired as he almost fainted, but then he felt it. _Shit._ Not now.

He pulled his head back, his hand for his nose, but he already felt the warm liquid drip through his fingers.

"You okay?" she asked, more surprised than worried.

He nodded, still covering his nose. Fortunately Zoro came to his aid. "Don't worry, his nosebleed is… chronic," the swordsman said. "Come on, Curly-brow." He grabbed Sanji's hand and dragged him along to the nearest men's room.

"Che, you act all like a gentleman, but deep down you're just a pervert, aren't you?" he snickered after handing the blonde a paper towel.

"Shut up. Like I said last night, you just don't understand the beauty of a woman's bosom," the blonde snapped back.

Zoro shook his head in disdain.

Fortunately no blood had gotten on Sanji's clothes. After the bleeding had stopped they left the restroom. In the hallway they met Nami.

"Ah Sanji, are you okay?" she asked.

"Yes, I'm fine, thank you, my beautiful flower~"

But she waved aside his flirtations. "I came to tell you that Luffy and I are leaving."

"Already?" the blonde asked disappointed. "But it won't be the same without you, Melorine~"

"Why are you leaving?" Zoro interrupted his supposed boyfriend.

Nami sighed and shook her head. "The hotel staff had kindly but compellingly requested Luffy to leave, before he eats everything. Bonney has been asked the same, so we're taking her with us."

Zoro started laughing. Nami sighed again and waved as she walked away, ignoring Sanji's exclamations of love. After a few paces she stood still and turned around with a mischievous smile on her face. "You two make a really cute couple."

"That's so mean, Nami-swan!" the chef called after her.

* * *

Not long after Zoro and Sanji decided to leave as well. After too much hugs and kisses for Zoro's taste and a threat from Perona that she would bring the bear costume next time, they finally reached the car.

On the way home the blonde was quiet. He stared out of the window smoking and didn't say a thing. Suddenly the swordsman realised that Sanji had been acting different all day. He hadn't tried his best to be a convincing boyfriend like he had yesterday. Also, the blonde had been avoiding his gaze and they hadn't made eye contact all day, even though Zoro had tried.

When they pulled over in front of the cook's house, the green haired man turned himself to the cook. "What the hell is wrong with you today? Why can't you look me in the face?"

Sanji took a deep breath from his cigarette and undid his safety belt, still staring straight ahead. He was already reaching for the door handle, when he finally looked at the swordsman. "Try locking the door next time." With that, he left the car without looking back.

Zoro sat frozen, his hands still on the steering wheel. He didn't need to think about what the cook had meant. _Shit_. Had he been so careful not to wake the other man, that he had forgotten to lock the door of the bathroom that night? He hadn't exclaimed Sanji's name, had he? No, he had barely made a sound. But that cook could be stealthy! Even if he was pleasuring himself, he usually was quite aware of his surroundings. How long had the blonde been watching?

Zoro smacked his head on the steering wheel and groaned. The thought of Sanji watching him masturbate aroused him. Something was definitely wrong with him.

~ To be continued

* * *

(1) French for "Of course I speak French."

(2) Japanese for "Of course I speak Japanese." (Thank you, Vergina-spva and Thérèse ^^)


	7. Chapter 7

Yay, another chapter :D

Thanks to everyone who supports me by reading and reviewing ^^ This chapter is a tribute to my pre-readers (they know what I mean ;))

Well, please enjoy ^^

* * *

Hot as Fire

Chapter 7

The rest of the day Sanji tried to keep himself busy. It was Sunday, so he couldn't do much work for the restaurant. Therefore he settled for cleaning his home until it was spotless and he tried out different recipes. But every time he let his mind wander, he saw the image of Zoro masturbating in his mind's eye.

_That morning he had woken to pee and in his half asleep state his brain hadn't registered that the swordsman wasn't lying next to him, nor that the light in the bathroom was on. But when he had opened the door, he was wide awake. _

_There Zoro had been standing, his pants around his ankles, with his erect cock in his hand. His head was thrown back in pleasure and he was moaning softly, his eyes closed. He hadn't seen Sanji, being too much in bliss from stroking himself. The cook got out of there as quickly as he could and pretended to be asleep when the green haired man had returned._

Of course he understood that, as a man, sometimes things needed 'to be taken care off', but he didn't need to see someone else do it. But what bothered him the most was that Zoro clearly got aroused by a dream or his own thoughts, when Sanji had been curled up against him. That thought sent shivers down his spine.

During the day he managed to keep his thoughts from the incident, by busying himself and in the evening by watching TV. When he was lying in bed however, distracting himself was a lot more difficult. It was rather late when he fell asleep.

* * *

The next morning he woke from the doorbell. Yawning he put on a bathrobe and hurried himself downstairs. Opening the door, he saw a beautiful woman standing on the doorstep. He almost closed the door again, realising how he himself looked. But as slamming the door in a lady's face isn't very polite, he waited until she spoke.

"Good morning, Mr Prince," she said. "I'm sorry to disturb you so early. My name is Robin Nico. I'm Mr Portgas' lawyer."

He nodded, though he didn't quite understand. Wouldn't they release Ace? But if he needed a lawyer, did that mean he was being charged?

"May I come in please?" Robin asked.

"Of course!" He jumped aside to let her pass. "Please, make yourself at home. I will get dressed–"

"Please, I'm rather in a hurry," she said. "I would like to ask you some things about your relationship with my client."

"Relationship? I wouldn't call it that, beautiful, I only met him once." He offered her a seat.

She smiled politely. "Yes, but Mr Portgas can be described as rather charismatic. Even after meeting him only once, he still must have left an impression."

Sanji thought about that for a moment. What she said was undoubtedly true. After Ace left, the chef had already gone as far as call him his sort-of-friend and he hadn't believed for a second Ace was the pyromaniac. "In that case, may I offer you some coffee?" he asked.

When she nodded, he hurried himself to the kitchen. When he came back, she had taken a seat on the couch. He placed the coffee with two cups on the coffee table and sat down facing her. "Do you mind if I smoke?" he asked while she took a sip from the hot beverage.

As she shook her head, he lit a cigarette — having a package in the pocket of his robe — and admired his view. Robin was a tall, slim woman with raven black hair and piercing blue eyes. "So, he is being charged?" he asked after exhaling a cloud of smoke.

The woman nodded. "Yes. Only for burning down the Baratie though, so he is not yet labelled a pyromaniac." From her purse she got a block note and a pen. "So, how do you know Mr Portgas?"

"Didn't he tell you?"

"He did, but I like to hear it from your point of view, Mr Prince."

Sanji insisted she would call him by his first name, but then told her of their first encounter. She kept silent during the story, from time to time writing something down. When he was done, she looked through her notes and then asked: "Have you ever had a sexual relationship with Mr Portgas?"

He almost choked on his coffee. "What? No! Did he tell you that?!"

"No, but you are the first person who I have encountered in this case who didn't, aside from his brother of course."

Sanji wiped his mouth clean and sighed. Zoro had told him Ace didn't like to be in a relationship and his flirtatious behaviour betrayed he liked to sleep around. But still, the chef wasn't the most important witness in the case, so surely Robin had talked to more people…

"Why is he being charged?" he asked.

"There is an eyewitness who places him at the Baratie at the time of the fire. So unfortunately your statement claiming you have never seen him before the fire isn't useful anymore." She asked him a few more questions, which he was happy to answer. Finally she flipped through her notes and said: "Well, I think I have all I need. Thank you for your time, Mr Prince."

"Please, call me Sanji," he insisted for the sixth time. "And you don't need me to testify or something, my dear?"

"I don't think that's a good idea. You don't think he did it, and as you don't know him that long, it might look like you are trying to protect Mr Portgas, as his lover."

Sanji groaned and forgetting he was in the presence of a lady exclaimed: "Can a guy not just be straight anymore?"

She smiled. "Of course you can. But Mr Portgas isn't shy about his sexual preference."

He shook his head, surrendering. "Well, if I can be of any use, please contact me again."

"I will." She shook his hand and allowed him to kiss hers. "Thank you for your time."

"If you have time this week, would you like to join me for dinner sometime?" he asked walking her to the door.

"That would be lovely. I will check with my husband when he is available. Good day, Mr Prince." With that she left, leaving Sanji defeated behind.

* * *

Unfortunately, Robin was too busy with Ace's case to accompany Sanji at dinner. In the end this was rather convenient for the chef, as things with the restaurant finally got into a stride. He and Zeff had found a new location, so they needed to hire a contractor. They couldn't collect the insurance money yet, which forced them to contract a loan with the bank. In all, the blonde was rather busy.

In the few weeks that went by, Zoro didn't contact him, nor did he meet him anywhere by chance. The chef didn't mind. First he needed a few days to forget about the incident, and after that he was too busy with the restaurant to think about the green haired man. By going to the wedding with Zoro he had repaid his debt, so there wasn't a reason to meet him anymore, was there? Sure, the man was easy to talk to and it was fun arguing and fighting with him. But he could do that with the cooks of the Baratie as well.

So why didn't it feel the same?

Sanji did follow Ace's case in the newspaper. The black haired man had been charged and his trial was getting closer. Robin hadn't contacted him and he didn't speak to anyone who would know something, so he only knew the progress from the papers.

One Friday night however he got a phone call. Frowning he saw it was Zoro, but he decided to pick up anyway. "Marimo."

"Sanjiiiiiiiii!" a loud voice that obviously didn't belong to the swordsman yelled in his ear.

The blonde held his phone as far away from his head as he could, in order not to go deaf. "Luffy? Why the hell are you calling with Marimo's phone?"

"I didn't have your number," the black haired boy said.

"Luffy! Give back my phone!" Sanji heard Zoro yell in the background.

"No! I wanna invite him!"

A slight smile appeared on the blonde's face as he listened to what happened on the other side of the line. Zoro yelled to leave him alone and give back his phone and Luffy refused again.

"Come back down from there, you little monkey!" the swordsman shouted.

"Where are you now?" Sanji asked curious.

"On the roof. Sanji, you didn't cook for me anymore." It almost sounded accusing.

The blonde sighed. "Look, I'm sorry. But I've been busy."

"I thought you would come over more often," the boy pouted.

"Like I said, it's been hectic," the chef tried.

"You should make me meat anyway."

"Fine, I will come over soon." For some reason he couldn't say no to the black haired boy. "How are you doing?"

"Good, we are going out tonight and you're coming too!"

It wasn't even an order, just a simple statement. Sanji rubbed his temples. "Who are 'we', exactly?"

"You, me, Nami and Zoro. But you can bring someone too!"

The chef thought for a moment. He had been working really hard lately, so going out didn't sound that bad. Even if Zoro accompanied them. "Sure, why the hell not? Actually, I have a friend who you'll probably like a lot."

* * *

Sanji stood outside the bar smoking. He and his friend had agreed to meet there. Usopp had been his roommate for a while before he went to France. He was a nice fellow who liked to tell tall stories. They had agreed on staying in touch, but though they had spoken on the phone, he hadn't seen his old roommate in a long time.

"Sanji!" he heard a familiar voice.

When he turned around he saw Usopp approaching. His friend had changed a lot since they last met. His dark hair had grown longer, which he had tied into a ponytail. He wore overalls, showing off his muscular upper body. New as well was the goatee that decorated his chin. Only his nose was as long as he remembered.

"Hey Usopp, I see you're finally able to grow facial hair," he teased, slapping the other man friendly on his shoulder.

"It's good to see you too, Sanji. You've changed your hair. Didn't you used to cover your other eye?"

A bit embarrassed the blonde went with his hand trough his hair. He had switched his hairstyle on the day of Vivi's wedding, because he had a minor infection to his right eye. After that, he had kept it that way, including his goatee and moustache. But not because Zoro had said he liked it!

"Yeah, you know, just keeping things fresh," he murmured. He quickly changed the subject. "But it's good to see you again indeed. It's been a while."

"Yeah, I was rather surprised when you called. But I've been busy and so have you probably."

Sanji nodded and explained what had happened in the last few weeks. "So what about you?" he asked after Usopp had showed his sympathies. "Graduated yet?"

"I'm in my final year now, and I've just started to do a work placement."

Chatting they entered the bar and Sanji introduced Usopp to his friends.

Luffy's eyes started to sparkle. "Are you a cook as well? Can you make me meat?"

"I'm not a chef," Usopp explained. A smile appeared on his face. "But I did teach Sanji all he knows–"

"Really?" Luffy was bouncing up and down from excitement, but Sanji gave Usopp a kick in the head.

"Like hell you did!"

"So Sanji says you two have been roommates?" Nami asked.

Usopp nodded. "When we were both in college, we've lived together for like a year. I study architecture."

Luffy looked a little disappointed – after all, he couldn't eat buildings – but when the architect started to tell a story about how he had rescued the prince of Scotland from a bear attack, he became all excited again. Usopp fitted right in the group, as Sanji had expected.

The blonde on the other hand hardly listened to his friend's story, as he had heard this one many times before. His eyes wandered through the bar until his gaze rested on a group of three girls, who where sitting by themselves. "Excuse me," he said to his friends, before he practically danced away.

Usopp looked over his shoulder and took a sip from his beer. "Ah, how I've missed him making a fool of himself," he snickered.

"Did he always do that? Ditching you to flirt with girls?" Nami asked.

"No no. Well, sometimes. But often it was because of him I got dates." The architect smiled, seemingly lost in nostalgic thoughts.

Nami glanced over to Zoro. "Hey Usopp," she asked circumspect, "you know Sanji longer than we do. Did you ever get the feeling he might be… gay?"

Usopp sat still for a moment, and then almost spluttered his beer over the table. "Sanji? Gay?" he laughed. "No way. You haven't noticed how he is flirting with you?"

"The first time I met him I thought he was overcompensating. It just seems like he is trying too much."

The architect considered her words for a moment, but then shook his head. "No, he's not gay. He really has a soft spot for women, being love struck and all. When we were living together, he had a date almost every night."

"But never a guy?" Nami insisted.

Zoro took a sip from his beer and gave her a warning look. He knew she asked for his sake, but he had rather she just shut up. "Stop it, witch."

The orange haired girl shrugged. "I just think he was a little too convincing at Vivi's wedding."

"Eh? But you're dating, aren't you?" Luffy twirled around on his bar stool. That earned him a smack in the head from Nami.

"Pay attention! They were pretending. Have you seen them together since?"

Usopp looked confused to the friends. "Sanji dated a guy?"

"Not really. He owed me a favour, so I asked him to pretend to be my boyfriend," Zoro explained sighing.

The architect took another sip and mused: "Well, he is a man of his word…"

* * *

In the meantime Sanji had taken a seat with the three girls and had ordered them drinks. He was just telling a story about France, which they seemed to enjoy, when he caught one of them, the tallest brunette, staring at his friends.

"Would you like one of my friends to join us?" he asked. When she nodded, he continued: "Who? The boy with the straw hat? The one with the long nose–?"

"It's not that long," she protested, which gave her answer clearly away.

He called his former roommate over en introduced him to the girls. Usopp sat down next to the tall brunette and started some story about how he defeated a giant goldfish. Sanji rolled his eyes, but the girl seemed to enjoy herself.

"What about your other friend?" the smallest asked eager, a girl with red brown hair. "The muscular one?"

"I'm sorry, my dear, I don't think he's interested–"

She pouted, making it feel like his heart broke in two. "Oi, Marimo. Get your butt over here!" he yelled to the other table.

Contrary of what he thought, Zoro actually got up and walked to their table. "What do you want, Curly-brow?" he growled in a dangerously low voice. He didn't like what he saw. The chef had his arm around one of the brunettes, who was radiant. The shortest of the girls looked at him and blinked a bit too often with her eyes.

"Pretend like you have manners, you Neanderthal, and say hi to these ladies," Sanji snapped.

Zoro gave him a dangerous glare, then said to the girls: "Hi," before he walked away again.

"Stupid barbaric Marimo," the blonde muttered, "can't even behave properly in front of ladies–"

"Ehm, Sanji?" Usopp gestured his head towards the small girl, who was pouting again.

The blonde hastened himself to comfort her. "Don't take it personal, my little princess. He just… doesn't like girls."

She sighed disappointed. "It's always the hot ones who are gay, aren't they?"

The shorter one of the brunettes gave her a kick under the table. "How can you say that? Sanji's here too…" She flushed when she realised he had heard her. He smiled at her and whispered in her ear how cute she looked. Her cheeks turned an even darker shade.

The blonde was about to continue the story he had started before Usopp joined them, when they heard a loud clash.

A few feet away from them they saw Zoro standing. He was holding a billiard cue in each hand and one in his mouth. Around his green hair he had tied a bandana. Across the room there was a man shaped hole in the wall, out of which a guy crawled. He looked very pissed. A group of dangerous looking men joined him.

Luffy stood next to the swordsman, the straw hat he wore pushed over his eyes and looking ready for action. Nami was still sitting at their table, massaging her temples and pretending she didn't belong with the men.

Sanji considered the situation for a moment. Here he was sitting with three beautiful ladies, two of them interested in him, since Zoro wasn't an option. But Zoro and Luffy's opponents were in the majority. Though he had no doubt the swordsman could handle them, it still had been a while since he had beaten the shit out of somebody. His feet itched for a good fight. He cut the knot. "Excuse me, ladies." In one jump he was on the other side of the table.

The fight had already started when he joined in. Luffy's strength surprised him. The way he dealt and absorbed punches, it was almost like he was made of rubber. When he saw Sanji, he grinned at him. "Ah Sanji, you're joining in?"

"I can't let you guys be beaten by such lowlifes, can I?" he snickered.

The black haired boy chuckled and ducked as Sanji's leg came his way to kick some guy behind him.

Around them had gathered a group of people cheering them on. The blonde hardly noticed it. With all the work he had been doing lately, he never had time to train his savate. A bar fight was a good way to deal with his frustrations.

But his joy didn't last long. After a few minutes a dangerous looking bouncer came their way, and it wasn't long after that they were kicked out of the bar.

Sanji scrambled to his feet. "Way to go, Marimo. Thanks to you we're probably never allowed in again."

"Why the hell is it my fault, Curly-brow? No one asked for you to meddle in!"

"Meddle? Without me you would be begging for mercy!"

"Like hell I would! You should have just stayed with those girls, Love-cook, where you belong!"

They glared dangerously at each other, their noses almost touching.

Usopp, who had followed them out with Nami, looked surprised at his blonde friend. "Is he always like this with Zoro?" he asked the girl.

She pinched the bridge of his nose. "I'm afraid so. But this isn't his nature?"

"Usually he is a lot more easygoing. Sure he has a temper, but only with people he refers to as 'morons'," Usopp explained. "But I've never seen him like this."

Sanji and Zoro continued calling each other every name in the book, until Luffy was doubled over with laughter. "You guys are so funny!"

Nami had had enough. She gave the chef and the swordsman both a smack on the head, and while she was at it, Luffy too. "Would you guys shut up already?" she snapped. "We've already been thrown out of a bar and it's not even ten o' clock!"

"So this is normal?" Usopp inquired.

"If you go out with these guys, it is," she sighed.

"If you'll allow me, Melorine, I know a nice little jazz club about fifteen minutes walking from here," Sanji said.

"Walking?" she asked a bit weary.

"I'll carry you, my beautiful Nami-swan~!"

"You're such an idiot," Zoro grunted.

"What did you say?!" It was only a matter of seconds before they were fighting again.

Nami groaned and looked as if she was about to cry. Usopp just shook his head and Luffy cheered the men on.

* * *

About half an hour and a few smacks from Nami later they finally arrived at the club Sanji had mentioned. It was a small place and a bit shabby, but they did have live music. There were only a few guests.

When they entered Sanji immediately walked over to the pianist and greeted him.

"Good evening, Sanji-san. I see you've brought some friends?" the musician said.

"Yes. Brook, meet Nami-swan, Luffy, Usopp and Marimo," the blonde introduced them.

"My name is not Marimo, Curly-brow!"

They glared at each other. Brook rose from his piano stool. He towered high above them and had the biggest afro any of them had ever seen. He bowed to Nami. "Excuse me, but may I please see your panties?"

Before the girl could react, Sanji had kicked the skinny man. "That's no way to talk to a lady!"

Luffy pulled at the blonde's sleeve. "Sanji, I'm hungry. Cook me something."

Nami gave him a punch in the head. "Stop whining. Sanji is free tonight too."

"It's okay, Melorine, I'll fix him something." With that the blonde walked away.

"But we haven't ordered yet," she stammered.

"It's okay, Nami-san. Sanji works here temporarily. He didn't tell you?" Brook inquired.

She shrugged. "He just said he knew the place."

A while later the chef came back, carrying two trays with five plates on them. "I took the liberty into making you all something I think you will like," he said, while placing the plates in front of them.

On Luffy's plate lay different kinds of sausages and other meaty snacks. With a happy exclamation of "Yay, meat!", he attacked the food.

Nami got a piece of orange cheesecake, Usopp homemade potato crisps and Brook some pancakes.

"Did you make them with extra calcium? I need to have strong bones, as I'm hardly more than skin and bones! Yohohoho!"

Sanji rolled his eyes, having heard these so-called 'Skull-jokes' a little too often lately and turned his attention to Zoro. The swordsman was staring at his plate like the cook was trying to poison him. "What? You don't like it? It's–"

"Onigiri, I know." The green haired man's gaze was fixed on the triangular shaped balls of rice.

"I thought you would like it, having been to Japan and all. I even gave you some wasabi on the side to match your hair," the blonde added chuckling.

Zoro scowled at him for that last remark, but then he said: "It's been a while since I had onigiri… Thanks, Cook." He took a bite and made a noise that indicated he liked it. The others started to eat as well, except for Luffy, who was already cleaning his plate with his tongue.

Sanji lit a cigarette and watched contently how his friends enjoyed the food. Especially for Zoro's opinion he had been nervous, he was the only one blunt enough to say that he didn't like it.

Wait, since when did he care what that marimo thought? He didn't. If he didn't like it– No, of course he liked it, this was Sanji's fucking food. Everybody loved it.

The evening turned out to be quite pleasant. Brook played tunes on the piano, with which Luffy and Usopp loudly – and very off key – sang and danced along with. They already had become the best of friends. Nami had found a group of men playing poker, whom she had innocently asked to teach her – and then swindled them as she was quite the poker player. They forgave her though when she showed them some cleavage.

Zoro was drinking beer in the corner when Sanji joined him. The blonde had been busy all night serving drinks and snacks, even though it was his night off. It surprised the swordsman the blonde was holding a beer bottle as well. So he finally dared to drink around him again.

"You okay, Marimo? You've been quiet all night," the chef asked.

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"Maybe because of Ace?" Sanji inquired. "His trial is in a few days."

"Luffy's alright and he's his brother."

"Luffy is easily distracted. But am I wrong?"

Zoro stared at his booze. "He'll be fine. He didn't do it."

The blonde just nodded and took another sip.

* * *

It was late when they left the bar. Nami would bring Usopp and Brook home, having parked her car nearby the previous bar, but as she didn't like her vehicle to smell like smoke, Sanji had said he would walk home. They wouldn't all fit in anyway. Zoro offered to accompany him, which he suspiciously accepted.

After taking leave from their friends, they strolled in an amicable silence as the blonde smoked.

When they approached his house, he said: "You didn't have to walk me all the way home, you know."

Seeing Zoro's confused look he snickered. "You had no idea where we were going, did you?"

The green haired man looked purposely the other way and the blonde could swear he blushed. "Not my fault everything here looks alike," he mumbled.

Sanji chuckled again. "Well, this is my house."

Zoro looked like he considered to say something, but decided to stay silent. They just stood facing each other for a moment, both with their hands in their pockets.

Finally the swordsman sighed and turned around. "'Night, Cook."

"Marimo…?"

He stopped and turned curiously.

"…Do you wanna come in?"

Now it was his turn to become cautious. Did the blonde just invite him into his house? But like hell he was going to pass up an opportunity to see how the cook lived… And what kind of bed he had. A smirk crept on his face. "Sure."

He followed Sanji into the house. "Make yourself at home… Within reason," the blonde said after hanging his coat.

Zoro looked around. The room was very tidy and was decorated with tasteful interior. The swordsman plumped down on the couch. "Have had a lot of girls here, Cook?" he blurted out.

"Plenty." A small smile appeared on his face.

"Do I still want to sit on this couch?" the green haired man teased.

The blonde flushed. "D-don't be disgusting! I wouldn't do _that_ on my couch."

That made the swordsman cock his eyebrow. "You mean you've never done it on a couch?"

"Why would I want to do that? I have a perfectly fine bed…"

"Sometimes you just don't get that far." He looked at Sanji. "Never had that?"

"N-no…"

An awkward silence fell between them. The chef broke it by changing the subject and asked the swordsman if he wanted to drink something. When he nodded, the blonde disappeared into the kitchen. While he was gone Zoro studied the pictures that hung on the wall. His eyes lingered on one of Sanji when he was eleven or twelve. He was wearing a white cooks shirt, a dark blue knee-breeches and a white apron. His left hand rested on his hip and in his other one he was holding a cooking knife as long as his forearm.

When the cook came back he found Zoro snickering. "You know, even with that knife and deadly glare at the camera, you were really cute."

"Shut up. I've never been cute."

"I disagree." But only then the swordsman turned around and saw what Sanji was holding. He immediately shut up.

"That's better. I'd thought you would like it." He swung the bottle of sake teasingly in front of the swordsman's face. "Now behave."

Zoro pouted a little, but the sake was too tempting. He sat down on the couch again and Sanji handed him a cup. He waited until the blonde had taken a seat as well, before he said smirking: "_Kanpai._" (1)

Sanji raised his glass as well, but though the swordsman emptied his cup in one swing, he only took a small sip. He trusted himself to drink around the swordsman again, but with moderation.

"So, you're really not worried about Ace?" he asked as he refilled Zoro's cup.

The swordsman seemed to pick his words carefully. "I know he isn't the pyromaniac. But I don't have much faith in the justice system."

"They say they have an eyewitness," Sanji said cautious.

"The fucker is lying."

"Do you know where Ace was that night?"

"I'm not his fucking babysitter! He didn't tell me either, but I'll be damned if he isn't protecting someone. That little shit better step up soon."

The blonde waited until Zoro had finished his rant and then said: "I'll drink to that."

They kept chatting for a long time. At a certain point Sanji was lying with his head on Zoro's stomach, his long legs draped over the arm of the couch. Neither of them knew how they had ended up that way. The cook's eyes were half closed already.

"Ya getting tired?" the swordsman asked softly, stroking through the golden locks. He couldn't help but smile a little. When Luffy had called Sanji, the swordsman had hardly expected to end up on the blonde's couch. Sure, not the way he'd hoped, but still. After Sanji told him he had seen him masturbating, he hadn't dared to contact the chef again. And as time passed by he lost hope Sanji would contact _him_. But tonight everything seemed to be okay between them again.

"I'm not tired. And you're drunk." With his forefinger he poked in Zoro's cheek.

"Why do you think that? I can take a lot."

"You're stroking my hair."

"I don't have to be drunk to do that."

When Sanji snapped his head up, he knew he had said too much. "Heh, maybe I am drunk. You'd know, you're the expert," he quickly said.

That earned him a kick like only Sanji could do. The blonde got up and rubbed his eyes.

"You don't have to get up." The swordsman tried to hide his disappointment.

"Hm, I probably should, or otherwise I fall asleep on your lap."

Zoro was about to say he didn't mind, but decided that wasn't such a good idea. "I should get going then."

"Sit, Marimo."

Surprised he sunk down into the cushions again and waited for Sanji to return with a blanket. "You can crash here. I'm not letting you walk home now."

"Worried I might get mugged?" the green haired man teased.

Sanji snorted. "No, but I don't feel like looking for a lost little Marimo in the middle of the night." He got ready to leave, when the swordsman said: "'Night, Cook."

A small smile appeared on his lips. "'Night, Marimo."

~ To be continued ;)

* * *

(1) Cheers in Japanese

And for those of you who are interested, Usopp is wearing his post time-skip outfit. See you next time :)


	8. Chapter 8

And here is the next chapter! Like always, thanks to everyone who has pre-read, read and reviewed :)

This chapter requires some explanation in advance. (Please don't drop out ^^;)

First of all, this chapter describes Ace's trail. I've based it on the Dutch justice system (as I am Dutch :P), which means there is no jury. The judge passes judgement. As there is more than one year of prison demanded, there are three judges in this case. I hope the rest explains itself in the chapter.

I had trouble writing this chapter, but it had to be done. It's not exactly like the Dutch law system (I'm no law student ^^;) but I hope you can follow.

Please enjoy ^^

* * *

Hot as Fire

Chapter 8

Zoro yawned and stretched himself. The sun shone through a crack in the curtain. Smiling he opened his eyes. Things had turned out great last night. Sure, he didn't wake up where he had hoped – in Sanji's bed – but at least he was in the blonde's house. He hadn't seen him in weeks and still they picked up where they left off. They had fought, but the night had ended in an amicable, almost romantic way, when Sanji's head had rested on Zoro's stomach.

The green haired man yawned again and got up to pee. After searching the floor for the bathroom without success, he decided to try his luck upstairs. He didn't have to look far; when he reached the top of the stairs, he almost got a door slammed in his face and Sanji walked out of the bathroom wearing a bathrobe. His hair was still damp from the shower. "Oh, good morning," the cook said a little surprised. He hadn't expect Zoro to wait in front of the door.

"Morning." Fortunately, this time Sanji didn't sound distantly as he had the morning after Vivi's wedding. Then again, Zoro hadn't done anything this time to make the blonde feel uncomfortable, unless he had done something in his sleep. Which he assumed he hadn't.

Sanji left for his bedroom as Zoro relieved himself in the bathroom. When the swordsman got out, he noticed that the door of the blonde's bedroom wasn't entirely closed. He couldn't resist the urge to peek. The chef had discarded his robe and stood fully naked in the room, his back turned to Zoro. Sanji bent forward to get clean underwear, giving the other man a nice view of his bare ass. He went on getting dressed, unaware of the eyes roaming his body.

Zoro sighed, trying not to think of what he could do with the limber blonde, when said man turned around suddenly and came towards the door. Hastily Zoro made his way to the stairs and started descending them. Sanji opened the door, his shirt still hanging open. "Oi, I forgot. Do you want to take a shower?" Nothing indicated that he had noticed Zoro peeking.

When the swordsman nodded, the chef said: "Hold on," and disappeared into his bedroom again, to come back holding a towel. "There you go. The bathroom is the door behind you."

"I know, I just got out of it," Zoro said confused.

"I didn't want you to get lost on the way," Sanji teased and walked away while buttoning up his shirt.

* * *

When the green haired man came back down, the blonde had already cleared up his improvised bed and was setting the table for breakfast. Breathing in the delicious smells that filled the room, Zoro heard his stomach rumble.

"You're in luck, breakfast is just about ready." Sanji had obviously noticed the sound too. He placed a dish full of scrambled eggs and bacon on the table and Zoro had a hard time not to drool. This morning was just getting better and better.

Sanji watched him loading his plate and eat with relish. The blonde was smoking his first cigarette of the day and sipping his coffee. "I think you spend too much time with Luffy," he said amused, leaning with his head on his hand.

The swordsman looked up. "'s Good, Cook," he said with his mouth full.

"I know." But still the chef smiled slightly.

When he was done eating, Zoro leaned back in his seat. "Oi, Cook," he said musing. When Sanji looked at him curiously, he continued: "You gonna go to the trial?"

The blonde nodded.

"You gonna testify?"

This time he shook his head.

Zoro frowned. "Why not? You don't even know him and you don't think he did it."

Sanji seemed a bit uncomfortable. "I don't wanna say."

"Why not?"

"'Cause it's embarrassing, okay?!"

The swordsman raised his eyebrows. "How can it possibly be more embarrassing than when you saw me jack off?"

The blonde's cheeks flushed, seeing the image of the swordsman pleasuring himself vividly before his mind's eye. "So that's how it's gonna be? Every time you make an ass of yourself, _I_ have to tell something embarrassing?"

"If you want the same treatment."

"I haven't done anything embar–" Abruptly he stopped, remembering the night he had met Zoro. "Fine, if you want to know so badly…" he muttered. "Ace's lawyer didn't think it was a good idea, because it might look like I am… a previous lover of Ace or something." He didn't dare to look at the swordsman.

Said man let the words slowly sink in, playing with a coaster. "But… You're straight."

"You don't have to tell me that!" At this point Sanji's face had the colour of a tomato. "But apparently, that's not allowed anymore!"

"I'm sure Robin has something up her sleeve, why she doesn't want you on the stand," Zoro said soothing. "I don't trust that woman."

"Don't you say that! Robin is beautiful and mysterious. She doesn't have some evil agenda!"

The swordsman rolled his eyes. "You know she's married, right? And it seems her husband is a strapping fellow."

"I'm not trying to woo her, moron. But that doesn't mean I'll allow you to speak ill of her."

Zoro sighed and decided to let it go. It was no use anyway. Every time they talked about a woman, Sanji's eyes practically got the shape of hearts and he would do anything to defend them. Even when all they did was use him for their own benefit.

Yes, there wasn't a doubt in the world that the cook liked women. But how could he ever be truly happy in a relationship that was so unequal? Even when the girl had the best intentions, the blonde would grovel, lower himself to please her every whim. Maybe Sanji had convinced himself that was what he wanted, but he wouldn't fool Zoro.

If only the cook gave him a chance… If Sanji was dating him, they would be equals. They were equally strong, equally competitive… They fit together perfectly. If only the chef realised that.

A smirk appeared on his face. There was only one thing to it. He would have to turn the cook.

* * *

The courtroom was already pretty full when Sanji arrived. It seemed a lot of people were interested in this case. There were probably victims of other arson cases here as well, even though Ace was only charged with the burning down of the Baratie. At least for now. The defendant was already brought into the courtroom.

It didn't take the cook long to spot a green head of hair. Luffy and Nami were sitting next to Zoro when the blonde approached them. Disappointed Nami was sitting next to the aisle and he couldn't sit next to her, he took a seat on the other side of the swordsman. Luffy looked at him with a large grin on his face, which made him cautious.

Nami leaned over the boy to Sanji, who had to take slow, deep breaths not to get a bloody nose when he got sight of her cleavage. "I promised him that you would cook for him if he behaved," she explained.

"Anything for you, my beautiful Nami-swan~!"

Zoro rolled his eyes at this. He placed his elbow in the crook of Sanji's neck, who was leaning over him in order to talk to the orange haired girl, forcing the blonde's head down, practically in his lap. That earned him a sharp kick in the shin, but it didn't prevent the dirty thoughts coming to his mind. After all, how close had the cook's mouth been to his…

He reminded himself he was in a courtroom and at that moment the judges, the honourable Sengoku, Tsuru and Dalmatian, were announced. They checked the factual information about the defendant and explained his rights, like he wasn't obligated to answer questions. Sanji followed the procedure with interest. This was the first time he was in a courtroom like this and he had to pay close attention to keep track of everything.

The public prosecutor announced who was being charged with what. A sentence of three years of prison was demanded, for damaging property. Sanji felt Zoro tense next to him. He squeezed the man's leg soothingly and leaned forward, whispering: "Don't you think that public prosecutor is quite scary looking?"

The swordsman nodded slowly. The prosecutor looked very stern. His curly black hair was tied back in a ponytail. He had a well maintained goatee and stared down on the people in the courtroom with a frown. There was no guessing in what he was thinking.

First the judges asked Ace some questions. The man declared himself innocent, but the question where he was at the time of the fire he didn't answer. "Idiot," Zoro muttered.

The first person that was called as a witness turned out to be Marco. He would serve as expert. The arson inspector was wearing a suit this time, looking rather different then when Sanji had met him. The chef noticed that Ace, who was sitting up front, whispered something to his lawyer. He couldn't see if Robin answered him.

Marco explained at the request of the prosecutor how he thought the fire had started and at what time. Based on his findings the arson inspector determined the fire had started around three in the morning. Petrol had been poured around the Baratie, which had been lit. Sanji let his mind wander during the explanation, having heard it already. He started to pay attention though when it was Robin's turn to ask questions. Those weren't about his job as arson inspector.

"Do you know the defendant, Mr Fenwick?"

Marco sat up straight, but the public prosecutor objected to this, saying Marco served as an expert, not a witness. Judge Sengoku consulted the other judges, but then said: "Answer the question, Mr Fenwick."

The arson inspector seemed to choose his words carefully, before he said: "Define know. Yes, we work in the same building, but I haven't spoken to him before."

"Why's that?" the lawyer asked.

Marco shrugged, his usual boring expression on his face. "You can't talk to everyone, can you?"

The prosecutor objected again. "What's the point of this interrogation?"

"Come to the point, Ms Nico," the judges agreed.

"Very well. Mr Fenwick, despite never talking to my client, Mr Portgas is rather popular at the fire station. Have you ever heard stories about him?"

A smile appeared on Marco's face. "Of course. He is considered on of the bravest firemen, having never backed down. He has saved numerous children from a certain death in the flames. I've seen him train as well. He works really hard, always. But well, I suppose his hot body is already evidence of that–"

His answer threw the public into a turmoil. Sanji snickered and mumbled: "I knew it!" The judges however weren't happy with Marco's reply. Annoyed Sengoku beat with his gavel to get the people quiet and snarled to the arson inspector: "Mr Fenwick! I will not have these outrageous flirtations in my courtroom!"

The arson inspector had already gotten over the shock of what he had blurted out and had gone back to his usual bored expression. "I apologise, Your Honours."

Robin smiled like she had foreseen all this and said: "No further questions."

It was too bad Sanji couldn't see Ace's face. He wondered how the black haired man would react to Marco's public flirtations.

"What did you know?" Zoro asked him softly.

Sanji looked at the arson inspector, who was leaving the witness stand. Then he leaned to the green haired man and whispered, afraid to be reprimanded by the judge: "I'll tell you later."

The swordsman's breath quickened. He wondered if the cook breathed in his ear on purpose.

The next witness was the arresting officer. Sanji had met him, it was the same man who had accompanied him with the identity parade a few weeks ago.

"Inspector Momonga, could you please describe how you came to arrest the defendant?" the public prosecutor asked.

Momonga brushed his moustache. "We received an anonymous phone call tipping us to pay Mr Portgas a visit. In the garage we found several jerry cans of petrol. Mr Monkey, the defendant's brother who lives in the same house, had an alibi, contrary to Mr Portgas. The defendant has as well a history of starting small fires when he was younger."

Robin rose after the public prosecutor was finished with his questions. "Inspector Momonga, the small fires my client has supposedly started, is he ever been charged for that?"

"No, they have been discarded as actions of a rascal. But they have been recorded in his file."

Robin nodded. "And have you ever found out who gave you the anonymous tip?"

"We did not. But a few days later an eyewitness reported to the police. Mr Portgas refuses to answer where he was at the time, only drawing suspicion on himself."

"But other than that, was my client co-operative?"

"He was. The only question he didn't want to answer was his own whereabouts," the inspector answered.

Zeff was the third witness to testify. He answered gruffly some questions about the Baratie, how long he had owned the restaurant and what the place had meant to him. He also explained he had not been in town the night of the fire and that his head chef had taken care of things. Sanji snorted at that. He hadn't expected the old fart to call him his son, or even adoptive son, but still.

But even though the restaurant owner was the victim, he couldn't say he had ever seen Ace's face before, not even as a costumer or hanging outside the building. The public prosecutor left it at that and Robin didn't have any questions. As Zeff made his way out of the courtroom, he and Sanji exchanged a short look.

Next to answer questions was another expert, a psychologist this time. Kalifa Bubble was a blond woman, with oval glasses, which she pushed up every now and then. Sanji was of course overwhelmed by her beauty, only Zoro was sure he saw a sly smile on the prosecutor's face. But when he told the chef that, the blonde said it was nonsense and a lady like Kalifa would never have ulterior motives. He did agree however that the prosecutor might not be completely trustworthy.

"Ms Bubble, have you had sessions with the defendant?" judge Dalmatian asked.

Kalifa pushed up her glasses. "That's sexual harassment."

Sengoku sighed. "It is not, Ms Bubble. Have you spoken to Mr Portgas and come to your conclusions as a psychologist?"

"I have."

The prosecutor took over. "I'll cut right to the chase. Do you think the defendant Mr Portgas is capable of arson?"

"Mr Portgas had revealed to me his motives to join the fire brigade. He decided to become a fireman after he lost a friend of his by fire when he was a child. Many pyromaniacs have gotten a fascination with fire after a traumatic experience caused by fire." She stroked a lock of hair behind her ear.

"So, do you think he is the pyromaniac?" the prosecutor asked.

She pushed up her glasses. "I think it's highly probable."

"Liar!"

It took both Zoro and Nami to restrain the furious Luffy. Sengoku hammered impatiently on his desk. "Sir, behave yourself or I'll have you removed!"

Nami whispered something in the boy's ear – probably about food – and he seemed to calm down. Reluctantly he sat down again.

The judge gestured the prosecutor to continue, but he said to Robin: "Your witness."

Robin rose and walked over to the psychologist. Nothing could be read of her face. "Ms Bubble, this information my client had revealed to you, it was during a session, was it not?"

"Yes."

"And isn't it true that as a psychologist you are bound by professional secrecy?"

"Yes."

"Then haven't you violated this by repeating something that was brought to your knowledge in confidence?"

Kalifa was taken aback. "Well, if it's to protect the majority–"

"So you are to decide what is for the good of the majority?" Robin accused.

The prosecutor objected to that and the lawyer withdrew the question, but she had made her point. Kalifa's authority as a psychologist had been shaken and the judges seemed to think so too. With a triumphant smile Robin sat down.

Zoro smirked. "Ace has one hell of a lawyer." His grin disappeared however when the next witness came to the stand. The colour drained from his face. Even Ace, who's appearance had been quite relaxed during the trial, became tense.

"Do you know him?" Sanji asked the swordsman. He had noticed how pale the man had gotten suddenly and he was starting to get worried. When Zoro didn't answer him, he placed his hand on the green haired man's knee and didn't pull back when his friend grasped it. Luffy had a very serious look on his face. Something was definitely wrong.

"Mr Akainu," the public prosecutor started with a sly smile on his face. "You claim to have seen the pyromaniac burn down the Baratie. Do you recognise the defendant as the arsonist?"

Zoro squeezed Sanji's hand and the latter feared it would break if the eyewitness didn't respond soon. However, he would have preferred the man didn't when he stated Ace was the person he had seen.

The prosecutor continued. "Mr Akainu, could you please name the time the fire started?"

"It was about three o'clock at night."

"That is the same time the arson inspector named," the prosecutor said triumphant.

Next it was Robin's turn to ask questions. "Mr Akainu, you claim to have seen my client at the time of the fire at the burned down restaurant, correct?"

"Objection! This question was already answered," the public prosecutor said.

Judge Tsuru nodded. "Proceed, Ms Nico."

"Of course. Mr Fenwick explained to us that the fire started in the ally behind the restaurant. What were you doing there, Mr Akainu?"

"It's a shortcut to my house."

"I see. Are you aware that the ally doesn't have lampposts? How were you able to see the arsonist well enough to point him out in this courtroom?"

"I had a pocket torch." The eyewitness didn't hesitate.

"But you weren't spotted by the arsonist?" Robin inquired.

"Apparently not."

Before Robin could ask the next question however, the messenger came in and whispered something to her. She nodded and asked permission to approach the bench, quickly followed by the public persecutor. After some consultation, Sengoku announced that they would adjourn the court for an hour to confer.

Wondering what it could be all about, Sanji followed the audience out of the courtroom. He took the unexpected break to have a smoke. Outside he was addressed by an odd looking fellow. He had seen the man in the courtroom. Well, it was hard to miss him with his large, light blue quiff, his Hawaiian shirt and shorts.

"You're Sanji, right?" the man asked him, holding out an enormous hand, which the blonde took hesitantly.

"I am," he said carefully, not sure what the man could want from him.

"That's SUPERR! I'm Franky. My wife told me you kindly invited us over for dinner. I'm SUPERRR sorry we couldn't make it until now. It's mostly my fault, being too busy with my contractor job… But that's all done now."

Sanji just nodded. So this was Robin's husband? Well, Zoro had been right to call him a strapping fellow; the man was huge, and very muscled. Still, it was hard to understand what a beautiful woman like Robin would want with a man like Franky…

But suddenly he had an idea. "Wait, did you say you were a contractor?"

"Heh, not just any contractor. I'm SUPERRR!"

"You better be. I'm sure Robin has told you that my restaurant burned down? Well, we have found a new place for it, but the contractor we'd hired was an idiot. Zeff, the owner, kicked him out. Literally. So we need a new one. If you're any good…"

"Like I said, I'm SUPERRR. I'll stop by tomorrow at nine to look at the place, if that's okay, Sanji-bro."

"That would be great. See you tomorrow then." After shaking hands with the odd contractor, who even struck a pose, he went inside again.

There he found Nami, Luffy and Zoro looking rather depressed. "You guys okay?" he asked with his eyebrows raised.

"That damn Akainu! He's lying in his teeth." Angry the swordsman hit the wall with his fist.

"Who is that guy then? Does he know Ace?"

"Ace has frustrated his plans a couple of times when he was younger," Nami explained. "But Akainu is a sly dog, so nothing could be proven. Now he's trying to get rid of Ace as revenge. And Akainu is a very respected man in the business world, so they will probably believe him."

"If that idiot only said where he were that night," Zoro fumed. "You sure you have no idea, Luffy?"

The boy shrugged. "All I know is that he wasn't home that night, and he wasn't working. But he is away a lot."

"What do you guys think happened just now?" Sanji asked. "Why would the judges, the prosecutor and Robin confer?"

"Beats me," the green haired man said. "But it better be something good. Otherwise Ace is going to prison."

* * *

About an hour later the court was in session again. Judge Sengoku cleared his throat. "It appears we have a surprise witness. Despite the fact that this is highly unorthodox, we will allow it. Ms Nico has stated to have no further questions for Mr Akainu, therefore we will continue with the next witness, who is an eyewitness as well."

The public prosecutor didn't look very happy. The sly smile was wiped off his face. Sanji poked Zoro in the ribs. The swordsman nodded and grinned.

The doors of the courtroom opened and a very muscular man entered. He had a gruff face and grey-green hair, reminding Sanji of Zoro. He nudged his neighbour again and whispered: "Family?" He got a deadly look in response.

After the witness had taken his seat, judge Sengoku asked him to state his name and profession. "Smoker, captain on the police force," came the gruff reply.

Robin stood up. "Do you know the whereabouts of the defendant on the night of the burn down of the Baratie?"

Sanji could hear Zoro holding his breath.

"Yes. He was with me."

Again the public was stirred up and had to be silenced by Sengoku's hammer.

Robin smiled. "When did you meet?"

"He came to my house around two in the morning on the night in question. He stayed till after five. During that time he didn't leave my sight. My neighbours can vouch for that."

"Why did you wait until now to testify?"

"I like my privacy. That brat… Mr Portgas and myself have an agreement not to talk about what we do at night. He has stuck to that till the very end, as you all have witnessed. I only heard today that they had found an eyewitness, as I was being buried in work. But though what Mr Portgas and I have can hardly be described as a relationship, the brat doesn't deserve to go to prison for it."

Robin smiled slightly. "Then what is it you have, Mr Smoker?"

"Call it stress relieving. We're not in love or anything. The boy might be an idiot, but he is an innocent idiot."

* * *

Sanji was already smoking his third cigarette to calm his nerves. He didn't know why he was this anxious. Ace had declared at the end of the trial he had indeed been with Smoker on the night of the fire. He hadn't talked because of their agreement.

But still, it was a respected business man's word against that of a police officer. Also the closing speech of the public prosecutor had been quite convincing. For everyone in the courtroom it was obvious one of the eyewitnesses was lying and the prosecutor had tried to convince the judges it was Smoker. He had cast doubt upon the police captain by bringing up his tendency to carry out his own judgement, not following the rules. The public prosecutor also mentioned casually there had been no fires ever since Ace had been arrested.

The judges had already been consulting for over an hour.

Zoro had been pacing up and down the whole time, even after Nami had yelled at him to sit still. Luffy on the other hand was unusually calm.

Finally there was announced that a judgement would be passed. After the doors of the courtroom had been closed again, Sengoku cleared his throat. "Will the defendant please rise?"

Ace did as he was bid, together with Robin.

"Like many, we as judges don't like being fooled. And we feel like that is exactly what has happened in this case. There were not one, but two eyewitnesses who claim to have seen the defendant in the night of the fire in two different places. Not even a man as fit as Mr Portgas would be able to pull that off. This trial was also an unusual one, as Captain Smoker only showed up at the last moment."

The court was completely silent, one could have heard a pin drop. Sengoku continued: "Not even the arresting officer seemed convinced about whether or not the defendant is guilty. Despite his not always acting according to the book, Captain Smoker is known to be a reliable cop, who wouldn't meddle in unless he believed something was off. Therefore, after hearing all these witnesses, we find the defendant not guilty."

Zoro didn't hear what else the judge had to say. With a grin he pulled Sanji into a hug, ignoring the blonde's struggles and pleads for air.

Slowly the courtroom became empty and a guard undid Ace's handcuffs. Luffy bounced to his brother and hugged him, while Sanji, Zoro and Nami followed him.

"Hey guys," the freckled man greeted them grinning. "Glad you could make it."

"You're an idiot, you know that?" Zoro burst out. "Why the hell did you wait so long before telling where you fucking were–"

"Were fucking," Ace corrected him with a wink.

The green haired man was taking aback for a moment, but then exploded again. His friend waited patiently until he was done ranting and then said: "I missed you too." After giving Zoro a pat on the shoulder he looked at Sanji. "And only the thought of you could keep me going," he said dramatically. "You've changed your hair style. I like it."

Inadvertently the blonde fiddled with his goatee and watched Zoro from the corner of his eye. The green haired man kept silent however.

"Smokey!"

Turning around Sanji saw Captain Smoker approach.

"Thanks for getting me out of jail," Ace said smiling.

"Yeah, yeah. This is the last time I'm getting you out of trouble, brat." With that, Smoker walked away again.

"How the hell did you end up with an old guy like him?" Zoro asked.

"He's not that old," Ace defended him. "He's thirty-four. He just looks older, 'cause he's a bit grumpy. And I did not 'end up with him'." The freckled man looked at his brother who had taken the judge's seat, playing with the hammer and wasn't listening anymore. "Like he said, we're just fuck buddies. We met after a fire, I gave him a blow job in an ally… Well, that's how it started."

"You could have gone to jail! Why the hell didn't you say something?"

Ace looked at his friend and sighed. "It's a pride thing, Zoro. You of all people should get that."

The green haired man grumbled something, but the freckled man already changed the subject. "Thanks for taking care of my little bro. All of you." He bowed deep, surprising Sanji with his politeness. The other two seemed to be a bit more accustomed to his behaviour.

An officer came for Ace, saying he could get his possessions back. The freckled man followed him after he'd told his friends Robin's husband was getting his van, so they all could go celebrate the good outcome of the trial. They should wait outside the courthouse.

While Ace was gone, Sanji explained to Zoro and Nami – Luffy was distracted by something interesting again – what he knew about Marco as he had promised to do. In front of the court Ace joined them again as they waited for Franky and Robin.

"By the way, where is that hot arson inspector?" the black haired man asked eagerly while scanning the crowd outside.

Zoro rolled his eyes. "He's gone home already. Besides, didn't you just got your ass saved by your lover?"

"Fuck buddy." Ace pouted. "And he was making a pass at me. How can I ignore that?"

"So you like him?" Sanji asked a little hopeful. After all, he liked Marco and the arson inspector obviously had a thing for Ace.

The black haired man snickered. "What can I say? He's blond and has a really nice ass. But that doesn't mean I don't like yours anymore," he added with a wink.

The blonde rolled his eyes. "Yeah, sure. Go after his, please." He put an unlit cigarette in his mouth and patted his pants in search of his lighter. Oddly enough he couldn't find it. "What the hell? Were did I put that shitty thing?" he mumbled.

"Did you loose something?" Ace asked.

"My lighter. Does anyone of you have one? It seems I've misplaced mine," he sighed.

"Zoro, you have one, right?" The black haired man looked at his friend.

"What the hell do you do with a lighter?" Sanji asked with a raised curly eyebrow.

"Open beer bottles." The swordsman tried to see if the lighter worked.

"Barbarian," the blonde mumbled, but still leaned in with his cigarette between his lips.

Holding his breath Zoro watched Sanji light his cigarette to the flame of his lighter without taking it out of his mouth. The chef straightened and exhaled contently. "Thanks."

The green haired man was still staring as he nodded, and swallowed a few times to get rid of his dry mouth.

When Sanji exhaled, Nami suddenly started to cough. It sounded exaggerated to Zoro, as she spent a lot of time in smoky bars. The blonde didn't know that though and quickly apologised: "I'm so sorry, my beautiful flower, I'm smoking all over you. I'll go stand over there."

After the chef had taken his distance, Nami immediately stopped coughing and took something out of her purse. "Pay up," she said to Ace.

His eyebrows raised, Zoro watched how the snickering freckled man handed the orange haired girl some money and she gave him something silver and square. "Why the hell do you have Sanji's lighter?" the swordsman asked in a hushed tone.

The girl shrugged. "He said he'd pay me if I got it for him." She nodded at Ace.

The green haired man looked at his friend. "Well?"

"'Cause I knew he would lean in like that," Ace snickered. "He let me lit his cigarette once. And admit it, you thought it was hot too."

Zoro couldn't deny that, but mumbled: "A girl had a hand in his pocket and the idiot doesn't even notice it."

~ To be continued

* * *

So, a bit of an Ace-chapter this time. Judging by your reviews nobody thought Ace was guilty anyway and I need his meddling in the rest of the story :P So, Ace is back, yay! :D Next time more Zoro and Sanji ;)

The public prosecutor was Rob Lucci, for those who hadn't guessed that. :P

I have some bad news (for you :P) From Thursday on I will be on holiday for six weeks, in which I won't be able to update. But fear not, I will continue after I get back. I can't stop if there's no ZoSan :P

And to make it up to you a little, I have a litte surprise. Those of you who have read my profile already know I'm planning to write the MarcoAce side of this story. Well, before I leave I will upload the first chapter of that story :D It's called _Reborn in Fire_. The first chapter occurs before the first chapter of _Hot as Fire_. You don't have to read this story to understand _RiF_, or the other way around. I hope you will like it :)

In the meantime, enjoy and please review ^^ I will update again after 22 August.


	9. Chapter 9

I'm back!

Sorry to make you wait this long, but I now will go back to my every-three-weeks updating :) Thanks to everyone who has read and reviewed :D

(Oh, and I will try to post the second chapter of _Reborn in Fire _somewhere next week. This chapter of _HaF_, like the previous one, contains some spoilers of _RiF_)

* * *

Hot as Fire

Chapter 9

With screeching brakes a van with the text 'Franky's Contracting' stopped right in front of them. One of the side doors slid open and the figure of Usopp appeared, a large grin plastered on his face.

"Usopp?" Sanji said surprised, crushing out the butt of his cigarette. "What are you doing here?"

His old roommate folded his arms and threw his head back in laughter, like he did often when he told a made up story. "Ah, didn't I tell you? I own this corporation, with over ten thousand employees—"

Luffy's, as well as Ace's, eyes started to shine. "Really?"

Sanji gave them both a kick in the head. "The van says '_Franky's_ Contracting'. So really, what are you doing here, Usopp?"

The long nosed man jumped out of the van. "I told you I did a work placement? Franky's my boss. He told me you guys were going for a drink, so I decided to come along. I had borrowed the van for reasons I can't explain here in broad daylight, but it involves a secret plan to rob the museum…"

Sanji ignored his former roommates ramblings and imaginary plans, while Luffy and Ace listened with glee. Robin and Franky got out of the front seats. "So why did you hire an architect?" the blonde asked the latter.

"He was very enthusiastic to work in the field instead of always behind the drawing tables, but he also helps me out with the designs. His drawings are SUPERRR," the contractor explained. "He was also very excited to work with you. Usopp said you two have been roommates."

"That's right. Oi, Usopp," a mischievous smile had appeared on Sanji's face, "you do realise you will be working _for_ me, right?"

The architect stopped mid sentence and gulped, making both Sanji and Zoro snicker.

The green haired man strolled over to Robin and said a little reluctantly: "Thanks for getting Ace out of prison. I must say I misjudged you."

"You see, I told you a woman as beautiful as Robin didn't have a secret agenda. Isn't that right, Robin-chwan?" Sanji meddled in.

The lawyer smiled mysteriously, making the blonde almost swoon. "I was just doing my job."

"Doesn't that bother you?" Zoro asked Franky, gesturing to the cook, who was practically radiating hearts.

The contractor burst into laughter. "Nah, I get it. Robin is SUPERRR. But she married me." He winked at the swordsman, before continuing: "Shall we get something to eat first?"

"Yay, food!" Luffy stopped listening to Usopp's made up story and almost danced towards them. "I'm hungry!"

"When aren't you?" Zoro asked, shaking his head.

"I know a nice pizzeria nearby, if that's okay with our chef," Franky said.

Sanji chuckled. "Pizza sounds fine to me."

One by one they crawled into the van. Usopp introduced himself to Ace – he had forgotten that, being caught up in his tall stories. Sanji pouted because he couldn't sit next to Nami or Robin, the latter being in the front seat and Luffy sitting next to his girlfriend. So he had to put up with sitting next to Usopp and opposite Zoro.

"So how was prison?" Luffy asked his brother.

"Not as fun as everyone claims it to be." Ace pouted a little. "I mean, I was in my cell all night, _alone_–"

But before the raven haired man could finish his sentence – which Sanji didn't really mind, because it was likely to end dirty – Franky braked hard, launching the blonde almost in Zoro's lap despite wearing his seatbelt. "What the hell?" he exclaimed.

Franky turned around to face them. "We're here."

"Geez, I thought you'd almost hit something," Sanji muttered.

Nami was shocked as well and Usopp looked like he almost had a heart attack. "I never get used to his driving style," he mumbled.

Zoro on the other hand appeared to be just bored, though in reality he was fed up with the seatbelt Sanji was wearing. He would happily hold the cook in one place, against his own body.

Ace and Luffy were rather amused, the first giving the swordsman a knowing wink. Zoro glared at him, but he was really glad he had Ace again to talk to about Sanji. Nami wasn't really an option, as she would hold what he told her against him and would probably use it to blackmail him. Luffy probably wouldn't understand. Even though the boy had a girlfriend, he still was very innocent.

On their way to the pizzeria they saw a very tall man approaching with an extremely large afro. Sanji was about to greet him, but Luffy was quicker. "Oi, Brook!" The boy waved with both his arms, even though the musician was only a few yards away.

The tall man stopped and took off his top hat, standing high on his big afro. "Ah, good evening, Luffy-san, Sanji-san." He bowed towards the ladies. "May I please see your panties?" Sanji kicked him, before Brook turned to him. "It's been a while. How have you been, Sanji-san?"

"I'm doing fine. Busy and all," the blonde answered.

"But you two work together, don't you?" Nami furrowed her eyebrows.

"You're so beautiful when you're confused, Melorine~! But I quit that job a while ago, because I was too busy with rebuilding the Baratie," the blonde explained. "Didn't I tell you that?"

"You told me," Zoro said. He couldn't help but feel a little proud for knowing something before the rest did.

"We're going to eat," Luffy told Brook happily. "Pizza. With a lot of meat! Are you coming too?"

"Perhaps I should eat more, since I'm hardly more than skin and bones. Yohohoho~! But I have already had dinner," he excused himself.

"We're going for drinks later as well. Do you want to join in?" Sanji asked.

"That would be nice, thank you."

"I'll text you were we're at."

Brook nodded and lifted his hat, hooking his cane over his arm. "I'll see you all later tonight then."

"Bye Brook." Luffy waved again until the musician had disappeared. "He's so funny."

They entered the pizzeria. Sanji put on his reading glasses and got the menu. While trying to decide which pizza he was going to get, he caught Ace staring at him. "What?"

"I didn't know it was possible, but with glasses you're like ten times as hot," the black haired man answered grinning.

The blonde smirked. "I know, right?"

The waitress came by and they all ordered. Sanji flirted with her a little, it had been a while since he had the chance to fawn over women he had a chance with. When their orders were brought, the chef chewed his pizza deliberately. It was okay, but he could do it better. Well, what couldn't he do better when it came to food?

He looked at Zoro, who was staring at his pizza. "What's wrong, Marimo? Got lost on the way to your mouth?" he teased.

The swordsman glared at him dangerously, but then said: "It's missing something. I just can't figure out what."

"Let me try."

Zoro picked up a piece he hadn't eaten from yet and handed it to the blonde, but instead of taking it, Sanji just took a bite and chewed thoughtful. The green haired man stared at him, did he really just fed the blonde?

"Well, it needs more oregano for sure, but I think you can solve a little with just pepper." The chef handed Zoro the pepper mill. The swordsman followed his advise and ate the slice with relish, trying not to think how this could be considered an indirect kiss.

The chef leaned with his head on his hand and smiled. "See?"

"Sanji, you're gonna cook for me, right? 'Cause I was good in the courtroom?" Luffy asked, his mouth full with a slice of his second pizza.

"Hm, I don't know. You did yell at that beautiful psychologist that she was a liar," Sanji answered, partly teasing, partly accusing.

The boy pouted. "But she was lying! And she had no right bringing Sabo in!"

"I agree," Ace stepped in. "For a gorgeous blonde, she was rather a bitch."

"Don't talk about a lady like that!" the chef burst out, but Luffy started to whine again.

"Sanjiiii~, cook for me! I was good!"

Annoyed Nami pinched the bridge of her nose. "Oh, for Pete's sake, just cook for him! He did behave, considering his usual behaviour."

The blonde's attitude veered round immediately. "Anything for you, Nami-swan!"

"That's so unfair! You should cook for me too, I haven't had anything beside prison food and this pizza in a long time," Ace pouted. "Usopp must have tried it like a hundred times and Robin told me you also offered to cook for her and Franky. I shouldn't be the only one left out! Zoro, has he cooked for you already?"

"Actually, he has made me _breakfast_ twice already." The green haired man smirked.

Sanji stiffened when everybody stared at him suddenly. It was true of course, but the way Zoro said it made it sound so… gay.

"I'm sorry, was that supposed to be our secret?" the swordsman teased.

Sanji kicked the man under the table and said to the others, who were still staring at him: "It's not like that! The first time I stayed at his place because it was pouring and he lives all the way across town. And the second time he stayed at my place so he wouldn't get lost in the dark."

Robin chuckled and both Nami and Ace shot the green haired man a knowing look. Annoyed the swordsman continued with his pizza.

"So you'll cook for me too?" Ace asked Sanji hopeful.

He rubbed his temples. "Fine. Geez, when did I became everyone's personal chef?" He tried to sound irritated. There was no need for them to know he loved to cook for his friends, that would only lead to a full time job. He gave Usopp, who knew he liked to make dinner for his friends, a warning look. His former roommate went pale and shoved a too big of a bite in his mouth. Sanji nodded approvingly.

"The minute you walked into their lives," Zoro answered his question.

* * *

After dinner they walked back to the van to find a bar. Sanji put a cigarette in his mouth and Zoro wanted to light it, but unfortunately for him Usopp also carried a lighter and this time the cook let his old friend light his cigarette. Gritting his teeth, he watched the blonde leaning in. It still looked hot though. Ace gave the green haired man a pat on the back.

"By the way, Marimo, have you bought groceries yet? Remember I told you to? After I left your place the first time," Sanji inquired exhaling smoke.

"I kinda had too." When the blonde looked at him intrigued, he continued smirking: "I was outta beer."

"That's not what I meant, Muscle-head! I meant healthy food, instead of that greasy take-out."

"What, worried I might get fat?" Zoro asked challenging.

Sanji eyed the man in front of him. He was wearing a tight white t-shirt, which showed off his abs nicely, if the blonde was interested in that kind of thing. Which he wasn't.

"Maybe you should put on a few pounds. I could snap you like a twig now," the swordsman taunted.

"I like to see you try with your brains kicked to pulp."

"Bring it." Zoro got ready just in time to avoid a deadly kick.

The others watched, some annoyed, some in awe and some were cheering them on. "O-oi guys, stop it!" Usopp tried. It didn't work. Franky stepped in, but was just pushed aside. In the end it took a fed up Nami to give them both – and the cheering Luffy – a smack on the head for them to stop.

"Damn Sanji, I didn't know you could bent like that." Ace bit his lip.

The chef decided to play along. "You haven't seen anything yet."

The black haired man pretended to swoon, while Nami gave him a smack on the head for good measurement.

* * *

Franky drove them to the nearest bar and Sanji texted Brook their whereabouts. While drinks were ordered and they waited for the tall musician, the blonde asked Usopp: "By the way, what happened to that cute brunette from a few weeks ago?"

"Ah, while you were fighting she gave me her number and we went out a couple of times. She was really cute, but unfortunately she got a job offer in Japan." Usopp sighed.

A teasing smile appeared on Sanji's face: "Poor Usopp. So you've been dumped, hm?"

His cheeks flushed. "I-I wasn't dumped! She got a really good job offer!" He sat up straight and snorted: "You're just jealous because she was interested in me, and not you."

"Why would I be jealous when I could have the other two?"

"One," his former roommate corrected him. "That short girl liked Zoro."

The swordsman looked up when he heard his name, but as the conversation was about girls, he focussed on his beer again.

"That's just 'cause the lighting was bad and she couldn't see the seaweed that grows on his head."

"Than the other must have been blind not to notice your freakish eyebrow," Zoro commented.

"There was nothing wrong with her. It's not my fault she got good taste."

"How do you know she even liked you? You haven't even gone out with her, Curly-brow."

"That's because you got us kicked out of the bar, Muscle-head!"

Both were standing by now, leaning on the table between them and scowling at each other.

Ace looked at them in amusement. "They didn't have this kind of entertainment in prison."

That earned him both a kick and a punch at the same time. Sanji and Zoro both sat down, scowling at each other.

At that moment Brook entered the bar with a loud "Yohoho!" and the tension seemed to drain.

They were without a doubt the loudest table in the room. More than often they got curious or annoyed looks from the other guests, but none of them cared. Brook, Usopp and Luffy were singing songs, while the latter stuffed his face with bar food. Sanji was partly amazed, partly disgusted of how much fitted in his mouth. Nami was annoyed at first, but then struck up a conversation with Robin. The two women seemed to get along. Franky showed some dance moves, which were first admired and then tried to be imitated by Luffy and Usopp. Ace told Sanji and Zoro how it was like in prison and they filled him in on what he had missed. The black haired man practically rolled over the ground in laughter when Vivi's wedding came up, causing Sanji to flush and Zoro's eyebrow to twitch irritated. When Ace was done hiccupping, he said: "It's a shame I missed it though. I'll call her soon."

Sanji was about to comment when he noticed a familiar head of blond hair sitting at the bar. Ace turned around and followed his gaze. A large grin appeared on his face when he recognized the arson inspector.

Marco raised his beer bottle towards them, before turning back. Ace sat still for a few seconds, before jumping up and making his way to the bar. Sanji was a little amazed how easy the raven haired man struck up a conversation. The chef himself didn't have a lot of male friends because he always remained distant and polite towards men. Of course he could talk to Usopp, they had been living together for almost a year. Ace was easy to talk to and for some reason Zoro was as well, when they weren't fighting. Talking to girls on the other hand was his nature. Well, Ace being bi, he probably could both talk to men and women.

It didn't take long before the black haired man dragged Marco over to their table, his eyes shining with glee. "Guys, this is Marco. Marco, this is my brother Luffy and his girlfriend Nami," he gestured towards them, "my awesome lawyer Robin and her husband Franky…"

"It's SUPERRR to meet you." Franky struck a pose, holding his arms pressed together diagonally in the air.

"…Usopp, Brook and Zoro with his boyfriend Sanji," Ace finished introducing.

The swordsman almost choked on his beer and the blonde shot out of his chair. "He's not my boyfriend!" the latter exclaimed.

"Really? Because I saw you guys holding hands in the courtroom," Nami said devilishly.

"We weren't holding hands, he was trying to _break_ my hand!"

"And you were hugging," she continued undisturbed.

"Again, he was breaking my ribs, Melorine~!" The last part sounded almost begging and he had to remind himself he was talking to a lady. "Besides, I've already met Marco."

"Eeh?! You're dating my friend behind my back?" Ace stared at Marco accusingly, who raised an eyebrow.

Sanji rubbed his temples. "He's an _arson_ inspector. My restaurant burned down by _arson_. How do you think we've met?"

"Oh, that's right! Marco, sit down." Ace tapped with his hand inviting on the seat next to him.

Sanji exchanged a look with the other blonde and then walked towards the door.

"Where are you going?" Ace said a little worried. "I was just kiddin'…"

The chef held up a cigarette. "Getting a smoke. Usopp, can I borrow your lighter again?"

"Oh, that reminds me." The freckled man got something from his pocket and handed it to Sanji.

The cook looked surprised to the object in his hand. "My lighter? Where did you get it?"

"I found it."

"Where?"

"Outside the court." It almost sounded like a question.

"Why didn't you give it back then?"

"I didn't know it was yours?" The black haired man put up an innocent face.

Sanji looked from the lighter to Ace. "It has my name on it!"

"Really?" Zoro looked over his shoulder. "It doesn't say 'Curly-brow' anywhere."

"That's not my name, Moss-head!"

"You don't seem to know mine, either!"

They stood facing each other, their faces mere inches apart. Sanji snorted and exited the bar. It took him two cigarettes to calm down. That damn Marimo always got on his nerves. And it seemed that Ace had taken lessons to annoy him with the swordsman. But he could forgive the black haired man, after all he had spent the last few weeks in prison. But Zoro…

When the nicotine had done it's job, he returned to his friends. Ace had crawled unto Marco's lap. The older man didn't seem to mind at all.

"Watch this," Sanji heard Usopp whisper to Ace, before the architect cleared his throat. "Sanji, what are the basic ingredients to pancakes?"

"Flour, milk and eggs, a pinch of salt. Why?" he added suspiciously.

Before his former roommate could answer, Nami asked: "Sanji, could you get me a drink?"

He twirled around, hearts fluttering all around him. "Right away, my beautiful Nami-swan~," he sang.

"Che, do you think they found a cure against idiocy yet?" Zoro smirked.

The blonde turned sharply around on his heels. "What did you say?"

But instead of a snappy remark, the swordsman's grin grew wider and the others at the table started laughing as well.

"What's so funny?" the blonde snapped.

"See, I told you! It's like he's got three personalities." Usopp slammed his hand on the table in laughter.

Sanji's aura turned dark dangerously fast. "So this was your idea, Usopp?"

The architect want pale and gulped. "T-take it easy. It was just a joke… Don't kill me!" He hid behind Franky's broad back.

"Don't pull me into this, Usopp-bro!" His boss tried to step away.

Before anyone could get killed however, Nami tapped the blonde on the shoulder. "Sanji, my drink…?"

"Right away, Melorine~!"

Zoro watched the cook dance away. The smile had disappeared from his face. "Che, idiot." Still he couldn't help but stare after the love struck chef. Suddenly he noticed Robin looking at him, wearing an all-knowing smile. Quickly he focussed on something else. He didn't need that damn woman knowing about his business.

"Who wants to play darts?" Usopp asked after the chef had returned. Franky wanted to join in, saying he was super at darts. Sanji shook his head. He knew better than to challenge the architect at this game. His former roommate sometimes reminded him of a sharpshooter. In college he was three years in a row champion darts.

"Zoro! Could you get me another beer?" Ace asked the green haired man, who was already on his way to the bar. His friend nodded.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Nami asked a little worried.

"Ah, you're so beautiful when you are concerned," Sanji swooned.

Ace pouted. "Come on, I just got out of jail! Let me have a little fun."

The orange haired girl shrugged. "Fine. Whatever."

"You're so beautiful when you don't care, Melorine~!"

Zoro came back, placing a beer bottle in front of Ace, before pressing one in Sanji's hands. "Thanks," the latter stammered.

The green haired man grunted something that sounded like "You're welcome," before sitting down. The conversation continued. They talked about all sorts of things, every now and then interrupted by an exclamation of "SUPERRR!" by Franky, or "Usopp, you're so cool!" by Luffy.

Suddenly the friends heard a muffled bang. Ace had landed face first in the plate of chicken wings that was standing before him. A loud snoring sound arose.

Nami rubbed her temples. "That's where I was afraid of."

"You mean this is normal?" Sanji asked a little startled.

She nodded. "Ace has narcolepsy. When he drinks too much alcohol, eats too much or over exhausts himself, he spontaneously falls asleep. Like this."

Marco carefully lifted up the black haired man's head and wiped his face clean with a napkin. After that, Ace's head rolled against the shoulder of the arson inspector. They looked rather cute together.

Franky walked up to them. "I think I'm heading home. It's getting late and otherwise I won't be SUPER in the morning."

The others got up as well, as Franky was their ride. "The guest of honour is asleep anyway," Nami shrugged. "Oh Marco, could you be a dear and bring Ace home?" It was more an order than a question.

"And you better bring him home safe," Zoro added in a threatening tone. Ace may seem to like the arson inspector, but that was no reason for him to trust him yet.

"Come on, Marimo. In the worst case scenario, I know where he lives." Sanji nodded to Marco and then grabbed the swordsman's arm. The green haired man let himself be lead along.

* * *

It was a few days later when Zoro stood hesitantly on the doorstep of a certain blonde cook's home. Marco had brought home Ace safely and the two of them had gone out on their first date. The black haired man was walking on air. Zoro couldn't remember seeing him this happy ever, so the swordsman was glad as well. He had just came from Ace's place and the raven haired man had gone on and on about how great Marco was. Zoro had smiled but at some point he couldn't take it anymore and had fled.

And now, early in the evening, he was standing in front of Sanji's door, debating whether or not he should ring the doorbell. He decided to risk it.

It took a few minutes before the front door was opened and a sleepy blond head appeared. The chef was wearing a loose shirt and sweatpants. "Marimo? What are you doing here?"

"I was in the neighbourhood."

"Does that mean you were lost and happened to recognize my house?" Sanji teased.

Zoro growled something, but took the offer when the chef stepped aside to let him in. "Did I wake ya?"

"Hm, I might have dozed off." Sanji stretched himself, revealing some pale, well toned stomach. "Have you eaten yet?"

Zoro looked at the clock. It was half past eight. He completely forgot about dinner. "Not yet. I just came from Ace's place. He kept blabbering about Marco."

Sanji disappeared into the kitchen and the swordsman heard some rumbling around. When the blonde came back, he said: "I'm heating up some leftovers. But I'm glad those two are hitting it off. Marco seemed to be pretty upset when he found out Ace was arrested. He definitely has a crush on him."

When the food was warm, the chef handed Zoro a plate and they sat down on the couch. The TV was still on, showing the news. While eating, the swordsman watched Sanji from the corner of his eye. He hadn't seen him in something other than a suit often, except when he was wearing boxers in bed or, well, nothing. He couldn't help but snicker at that last thought.

"You didn't just stop by so I would feed you, did ya?" the chef interrupted his thoughts.

"What? Afraid I only like you for your cooking?" Zoro teased. He put his now empty plate on the coffee table. Sanji snorted, but the green haired man thought to see a glimpse of insecurity in the chef's eyes. "Don't worry. Nobody likes the shit you call food."

The blonde kicked him and it would have become a full fledged fight if the swordsman hadn't noticed that Sanji was rubbing his own shoulder with a pained face. "Does it hurt?" he asked.

"Just a bit sore. Work's a little stressful lately."

"Take off your shirt."

The cook stared at him. "'Xcuse me?"

"C'me on. I'll give you a massage."

Slowly and a bit cautious Sanji did as he was told, revealing increasingly more well toned chest. Zoro tried not to stare, instead snapping: "I haven't got all day!" When the sweatshirt was thrown aside, the swordsman commanded him to lie face down on the couch. In his head he was still debating whether or not this was a good idea, but his hands were itching to touch the sexy cook.

When Sanji had done as he bade, the green haired man gently rubbed the slightly muscled shoulders, earning a soft moan. Shit, he hadn't thought about that. He applied more pressure, but that only resulted in a louder moan. The sounds of the chef's voice went straight to his groin. He tried to think about things that turned him off, like Luffy's smelly socks, or the time he accidentally bumped into Nami in the shower. The cook didn't make it easy for him though. He continued to make all kinds of sexy noises. Zoro's pants started to grow tight, so he had to think of the ultimate turnoff. One time he had seen old lady Kokoro, one of his neighbours, sunbathing in a bikini. That worked. A shiver went down his spine and he no longer had to worry about an erection. He gave Sanji's now relaxed shoulders one last rub, before sitting down on the couch.

He watched Sanji sit up, sighing contently. "Holy crap, Zoro. I think you missed your calling as masseur."

He smirked. "So you liked it?"

"Are you kiddin'? I need a cigarette after this."

All kinds of thoughts were running through his head right now. He opened and closed his mouth a few times, before finally getting out: "Yeah, the neighbours probably think so too."

Sanji had just lit up a cigarette he had conjured up from somewhere and cocked his eyebrow. "What d'ya mean?"

"Really? The way you were moaning…"

He flushed. "I wasn't moaning!"

"Like I fucked you raw."

The cook's face had the colour of a tomato by now, but the swordsman decided to push him a little further. "I was surprised you didn't scream my name at the end."

He had expected the kick, but still he couldn't prevent the foot from crushing into his stomach. He gasped for air. Shit, even without shoes those kicks were deadly.

"Ass," Sanji muttered and hugged a pillow.

They sat together in silence for a while, watching some old movie. From the corner of his eye Zoro saw Sanji's head slowly tilt to the side. The blonde was drifting off. Zoro got up from the couch, turning off the television and laying a blanket over his shoulders. After placing the plate in the kitchen, he silently closed the front door behind him.

He looked from right to left and back. Which way was his house again? He sighed and picked a random direction, making a mental note never to tell Sanji about this.

~ To be continued

* * *

I hope it was worth the long wait ^^ Please let me know what you think :)


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